Social Security Administration strips benefits from woman with Down Syndrome

ORLANDO, Fla. — Jennifer Groover has received Social Security since she was 6 years old because she has Down Syndrome.

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But 38 years later, the Social Security Administration has taken away those benefits, her only income, because they said they had no evidence or documentation right now saying she has the disability.

“We’ve got one letter that she needs to go to work,” Cynthia Groover, her mom, said. “Yeah, they said we’ll help her get a job. She can go to work. She can barely walk. Her legs and feet are so bad. She’s so full of arthritis, and there’s no way she could walk. No, she can’t. She doesn’t have the mentality to hold the job.”

In July of 2023, the family received a letter giving them 10 days to respond.

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If not, the SSA said it may have to make a “finding of not disabled because of insufficient evidence.”

Notes from the Groovers said they could not get anyone to answer after they left 16 messages.

James Groover said all his updated paperwork was sent in.

“I went down and showed them the letter and asked them to explain it to me,” he said. “And of course they couldn’t, but they just said, ‘We sent you some paperwork to fill out so that we’d have the information. And you didn’t fill it out and send it in, so, that’s why we canceled her benefits.’ I said, ‘Yeah, I sent them all in and we’ve been doing this for 40 years. Why would you not send it in?’ And I knew what the consequences would be. So definitely, we’re going to get that sent in, and it was, but they say they never received it.”

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But on July 15, 2023, her benefits stopped after they decided “she was no longer disabled.”

Nine Investigates along with our stations across the country, and KFF Health News has been investigating the SSA for months.

We told you that people all over the country who were trying to contact Social Security had their calls unanswered.

Social Security is dealing with staffing shortages and underfunding, which makes it difficult for them to keep up with customer service needs.

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In that year, they were evicted from their home and have struggled every month to pay their bills

“We’re retired, and every dollar is spent,” the Groovers said. “We make just enough to pay our rent and have $38 left.”

The family says they sent the records they had to SSA after they asked for them but were told they needed something from last year.

The problem is that they have no records from the last year because without SSA, they get Medicaid, so they have no insurance and can’t afford to take her to the doctor.

Read: Social Security reviewing overpayment policies, procedures following WFTV Channel 9 investigation

There has been some movement in her case.

The Groovers tell Channel 9 that Social Security wants them to get a blood test to determine if Jennifer has that extra chromosome, which has not happened yet.

James Groover says he’s just had enough.

“I’m over everything,” he said. “They stopped everything. even stopped answering my phone call.”

Just after our story aired, we heard back from Social Security. Now, they say they will reach out to the Groovers and provide them with the necessary assistance. We will keep you posted.

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