Declared dead by Service Canada, N.B. woman still trying to get life back

Cathy Adams, a resident of Charlotte County, had a bizarre experience that took her nearly seven weeks to fully comprehend – she was declared dead. It all started when she noticed that her Old Age Security and CPP benefits had not been deposited into her bank account on January 29th. Concerned, she reached out to Service Canada to inquire about the issue.

To her astonishment, the government worker she spoke to informed her that a death notice had been received for her on December 13th. Adams was initially caught off guard and found the situation almost comical. She recalled the moment when she was told she was dead, exclaiming, “I’m what? I’m dead?”

Despite her disbelief, Adams made numerous phone calls and visits to the Service Canada office in St. Stephen in an attempt to rectify the situation. She encountered different responses from various individuals, with some attributing the error to a clerical mistake while others mentioned a claim made by someone purporting to be her niece, a name she did not recognize.

Employment and Social Development Canada acknowledged the error, labeling it as a “human error” and ensuring that Adams’ benefits were reinstated. However, Adams expressed concerns about the potential compromise of her identity, as she was required to provide documentation such as a marriage certificate, which she did not possess due to her separation from her spouse for nearly three decades.

While Adams managed to get her benefits reinstated, she remained apprehensive about the implications of the incident on her personal information. She discovered similar cases of individuals being mistakenly declared deceased online, raising doubts about the frequency of such errors within Service Canada.

Despite the ordeal, Adams maintained a sense of humor about the situation, joking about picking a new birthday for her “next life” and even expressing a desire to frame a death certificate if one had been issued. She quipped about missing her own wake and not receiving any flowers, showcasing her resilience in the face of an absurd predicament.

As Adams navigates the aftermath of being mistakenly declared dead, she continues to seek clarity on the circumstances surrounding the error and remains vigilant about safeguarding her identity in the future. Her story serves as a reminder of the importance of accuracy and diligence in administrative processes to prevent such unusual incidents from occurring.