THIS IS CBS 2 NEWS AT FIVE.
AN 80-YEAR-OLD CHICAGO
WOMAN IS FIGHTING TO ACCESS HER
SOCIAL SECURITY MONEY.
IT'S BECAUSE OF DEBIT CARD
PROBLEMS.
DANA KOZLOV REPORTS.
THEY ARE PLAGUING PEOPLE ACROSS
THE COUNTRY.
Reporter: OF FRAIL AND
EXHAUSTED WALKER LOOSE THE
SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICE.
THE SOCIAL SECURITY
ADMINISTRATION EMPLOYEE TOLD
WALKER TO GO IN PERSON.
TO SOLVE A PROBLEM SHE'S HAVING
WITH HER U.S. DIRECT EXPRESSED
DEBIT CARD.
WHICH IS LINKED TO HER SOCIAL
SECURITY FUNDS.
THREE HOURS LATER?
Reporter: WERE THEY ABLE TO
WORK IT OUT YET?
Reporter: WE TOLD YOU ABOUT
THE ORDEAL ON THURSDAY.
SHE AND HER GRANDDAUGHTER HAVE
SPENT THREE WEEKS CALLING U.S.
DIRECT EXPRESSED ACTIVATE A
REPLACEMENT CARD.
ONLY TO GET THE RUNAROUND.
AND MET SHE WAS CUT OFF FROM
HER FUNDS.
GUESS WHAT HAPPENED TODAY?
THEY ARE SAYING THAT WE CAN
NOW USE THE CARDS, JUST
ACTIVATE THE NUMBER ON THE
CARD.
IT WILL BE NO PROBLEM.
Reporter: THAT'S EVEN TRYING
TO DO FOR THREE WEEKS?
RIGHT.
Reporter: BASED ON THE
RESPONSE TO WALKER'S ATTEMPT TO
ACCESS THE SOCIAL SECURITY
NUMBER IN ACTIVATE THE DIRECT
EXPRESS CARD, HERS IS NOT AN
ISOLATED CASE.
I HEARD FROM A DOZEN PEOPLE
FROM PHONE AND EMAIL.
WHO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM.
A NIGHTMARE ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
ALL HAVING TROUBLE ACCESSING
THEIR SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS
BECAUSE OF THE CARD.
THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU
REPORT 771 COMPLAINTS.
WITH COMERICA BANK.
WE HAVE LEARNED THE U.S.
TREASURY DEPARTMENT'S BUREAU OF
PHYSICAL SERVICE RENEWED ITS
CONTRACT WITH COMERICA BANK IN
2015.
WITH THE CONTRACTS THAT EXPIRE
LAST WEEK THE CONTRACT THE 842
NINE AND YET IS PERSIST
WALKER'S CARD STILL IS AN
ACTIVE.
IN THE 10th WAS SPOKESPEOPLE