A Southern California family is living a nightmare, dealing with the death of their 86-year-old mother who is still very much alive, though not according to the U.S. Social Security Administration.

Sarah Van Leuven, a Santa Monica resident, retired as a special education teacher with the Los Angeles Unified School District on April 1, 2016, the same date that SSA lists her as deceased.

It is unclear exactly how she was declared dead, whether it was human error or a computer glitch, but the mix up has been near catastrophic for the stroke survivor, who has been purged from Medicare and health insurance systems, had her bank and credit cards canceled and had years' worth of pension payments pulled away overnight.

They believe the April 1, 2026, retirement milestone might be at the center

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