NORTHERN VALLEY—An Englewood resident whose Social Security benefits were being garnished over a fraudulent loan, a Haworth couple awaiting a tax refund and a Tenafly family facing an urgent travel problem were among the constituents highlighted at a Hackensack gathering with U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer.
The event focused on the congressman’s constituent services team and its work helping residents resolve problems with federal agencies and private companies. An Englewood Hospital nurse whose insurer initially denied coverage for a prescribed prosthetic limb also participated.
According to a Nov. 1 release from Gottheimer’s office, its casework team has resolved 22,959 cases and helped constituents recover more than $173 million to date. The office said the cases highlighted at the gathering accounted for more than $171,000 in financial relief.
Englewood resident challenges fraudulent debt
Robert Lunzer of Englewood had money deducted from his monthly Social Security retirement benefit for a year before learning the deductions were tied to a Small Business Administration COVID loan he said he never took out, according to Gottheimer’s office.
The loan application contained an incorrect name and a signature that was not his, the office said. After trying unsuccessfully to resolve the matter with the SBA, Lunzer sought help from the congressman’s staff.
The team contacted the SBA, which referred the inquiry to its fraud unit. Within a week, according to the release, the agency validated Lunzer’s identity theft claim, canceled the $93,600 debt, stopped the deductions and refunded approximately $4,500.
Haworth couple receives delayed refund
Ann Marie and Jim Dunlop of Haworth, both in their 80s, filed their taxes in mid-March but faced a lengthy wait for their refund.
After completing an identity verification by telephone, they received periodic letters saying the IRS needed more time, according to the release.
Gottheimer’s staff contacted the Taxpayer Advocate Service and learned that the return was under review because income and withholding could not be verified. The team worked with Ann Marie and her accountant to supply the necessary records.
Within a few weeks of that process, the office said, the couple’s refund of more than $22,500 was in the mail.
Tenafly family gets urgent travel assistance
Joey Shimm of Tenafly contacted Gottheimer’s office on behalf of his wife, Yoko, whose green card had arrived with an extra initial in her name. A replacement card contained the same error.
When Yoko’s 95-year-old mother suffered a cerebral hemorrhage in Japan, the family needed help securing documentation for travel. The earliest appointment offered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services was after her scheduled flight, according to the release.
Gottheimer’s team contacted the agency’s Newark field office and secured an appointment for the next day. Yoko received a stamp in her Japanese passport providing temporary proof of lawful permanent resident status and traveled to be with her mother.
The office said it would continue working with the family to correct the green card.
Nurse wins coverage for prosthetic limb
Suzanne Jackson of Highland Lakes, a registered nurse who has worked at Englewood Hospital for more than 40 years, sought help after UnitedHealthcare denied coverage for a prosthetic limb.
According to the release, her doctor prescribed a K3 prosthetic with a microprocessor knee. Following an initial appeal, the insurer approved a K2 prosthetic, which Jackson said would not allow her to continue working 12-hour nursing shifts.
After months of appeals, Jackson contacted Gottheimer’s office in July. His staff asked UnitedHealthcare to review the case, and the insurer approved the prescribed prosthetic the following day, according to the congressman’s account. Jackson remains on the job at Englewood Hospital.
How to seek help
Other cases highlighted at the gathering involved military pension back pay and delayed tax refunds for residents elsewhere in the district.
“One of the most important parts of my job is being an advocate and a champion for the families I’m lucky to represent here in North Jersey,” Gottheimer said.
Residents seeking assistance with federal agencies, including matters involving veterans benefits, Social Security, Medicare, passports and delayed IRS refunds, can contact Gottheimer’s constituent services team at 201-389-1100 or HelpNJ5@mail.house.gov. Information is available at gottheimer.house.gov.