Jacksonville widow declared dead by mistake after reporting husband’s death

Social Security acknowledged the error and corrected it. Years later, Lisa Mercer is still fighting to prove she’s alive. She came to Ask Anthony for help.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — When your spouse dies, the last thing you expect is to be told you died too.

That’s exactly what Jacksonville widow Lisa Mercer says happened after she notified the Social Security Administration about her husband’s death. Years later, she says she’s still fighting to prove she’s alive. 

“I was married to my husband for over 40 years, and losing him was hard enough,” Mercer said.

Her husband died unexpectedly in September 2020. Mercer says she followed the rules, contacting Social Security right away to stop his benefits and avoid overpayments.

But somewhere in that process, something went wrong.

“I was still grieving … and then in the midst of it all, I find out that I’m dead,” she said.

In a letter, Social Security acknowledged the error, stating both Mercer and her husband had been listed as deceased. While the agency corrected its records, Mercer says the damage didn’t stop there.

During a traffic stop, she says a police officer ran her license and got a shocking result.

“He gets in his car …opens his laptop…and it’s flashing deceased,” Mercer said.

Six years later, Mercer says the issue is still haunting her — this time with the Internal Revenue Service. She says she has been unable to file her taxes because the IRS still lists her as dead.

“Being a widow was hard enough, but then having this happen on top of it … it was just icing on the cake,” she said.

In 2023, Fleming Island resident Theresa Williams contacted Ask Anthony with a similar problem. Williams said she couldn’t get her tax refund because the IRS mistakenly listed her as deceased.

“I think when you work all these years … you shouldn’t have this problem at my age especially,” Williams said.

After intervention, Williams received her refund. But Mercer worries her situation isn’t over.

“I just want to get my taxes current. I just want to know that I’m alive,” she said.

According to Social Security, more than 3 million deaths are reported each year, and the system is highly accurate — with less than one-third of 1% reported incorrectly.

Still, that margin means thousands of people each year are mistakenly declared dead and left to prove they’re alive.

“What if one day I do want to buy a house? … Is this going to pop up again?” Mercer said. “Is it always going to be there like a criminal record?”

Social Security advises anyone facing this issue to contact their local office immediately and bring valid identification. The agency can issue a correction letter to help resolve errors with other agencies.

Mercer says she’s done that and is still dealing with the fallout.

After being contacted by Anthony Austin, a Social Security representative reached out to Mercer to try to resolve the issue.