Brickbat: Dead Women Tell No Tales

Six months ago, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management stopped sending Betty Ashley, 100, the check she is supposed to receive from the annuity of her late husband, who served as a postmaster. When she and her daughter looked into it, they found the OPM had her listed as dead, and the agency demanded she prove she is alive. She sent a notarized form as well as a photo of her holding a current newspaper. So far, that hasn't been enough to convince the government.

Comments

[Brian]

Government benefits: security.

[Fist of Etiquette]

The pension death panel has determined this old broad has lived off the government teat long enough.

[Cronut]

They misspoke. They meant she *should* be dead.

[mad.casual]

The air grew chill and Betty felt a slight tightness in her chest. In a mild panic, she noticed a shadow in front of her. As she turned to look, it was a giant shadow, a magnificent specter, a grim messenger... and, as it reached out to her, it spoke, "I'm with the Office of Personnel Management..."

[sarcasmic]

Good. Endless pensions from government jobs are an unjust burden on taxpayers.

[Jerry B.]

But it's part of the retiree's contract with the government. Shouldn't contracts be honored?

[mad.casual]

Actually, it's part of her dead husband's contract with the government. Undecided/unclear on whether contracts with the dead violate the Establishment Clause.

[Cronut]

Not sure about postal service pensions, but gov pensions have an option to basically buy into a survivor annuity. Retirees pay some amount of money out of their pensions for their spouse to recieve a percent of their pension when they die. I pay a premium out of my military retired pay so if I die, my kid will get 55% of my pension till she's 18. I think OPM is similar, but not 100% sure.

[sarcasmic]

These contracts government pyramid schemes were created when the average lifespan was decades less than it is today. Some of these people get a pension for longer than they actually worked. Retire at 50 and live to 100, and you get a pension for half of your life. I doubt that was in the original contract.

[Brandybuck]

It was an annuity. Meaning it most likely was a payout from an investment.

[Crackers Boy]

Dead women also pay no taxes. I would be WAY better off if our Fed thought I was dead.

CB

[Agammamon]

Oh no buddy. The IRS doesn't declare anyone dead till they've seen the body, the inheritance tax is paid, and sometimes not even then.

You have to prove to the OPM you are alive and prove you're dead to the IRS.

[Mr. Bumble]

Meanwhile, billions are paid out to people who are actually dead.

[mad.casual]

If you quit paying them, they'll stop voting!

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

How dare this seditious, MAGA bitch challenge our glorious government!

[Brandybuck]

On the bright said, dead people don't pay taxes! (At least once you get past probate).

[markm23]

No, government bureaucracies are quite capable of stopping benefits because of (supposed) death but collecting taxes as if the person were alive.

[Unicorn Abattoir]

Clearly her claim is the result of a bureaucratic mistake. Law enforcement has been dispatched to correct it.

[Agammamon]

But his name was Buttle.

[Dillinger]

it was the salmon mousse!