‘I was legally dead for four years, which left me unable to vote, drive or claim tax returns’

A man says he was declared dead by social security and tax officials, which left him unable to drive, vote or claim tax returns for four years.

Jeff Athey, now 28, was stated as passed away by the US Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in 2017.

Jeff had to fight for several years to get “legally resurrected”.

From 2017 to 2021, he was unable to renew his driving licence. His voter registration was removed, leaving him unable to cast his vote in the 2018 midterm elections.

The ordeal has had a deep effect on Jeff, who lost faith in the organisations running his country.