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News OK - Oklahoman

August 12, 2009

Social Security decision may be payout for many

Oklahoman led lawsuit against agency over denied benefits

A federal judge in California on Tuesday gave tentative approval to a settlement in a $500 million class-action lawsuit against the Social Security Administration in which an Oklahoma woman was a lead plaintiff.

Roberta Dobbs, 75, of Durant and five others filed the suit in 2008 alleging the administration had improperly stopped their benefits because of outstanding warrants. A law allows the government to withhold benefits to anyone fleeing prosecution, but later interpretations extended the policy to anyone in an outstanding warrant database.

Dobbs was preparing to move to Oklahoma from California in 2001 when she was involved in a car wreck, according to the lawsuit. Although state officials later set aside a suspension of her driver’s license and found her blood alcohol content was not over the legal limit, a DUI charge had been filed in the interim and an arrest warrant was issued.

Dobbs was living in Oklahoma when her Social Security benefits were suspended because of the warrant, of which she was unaware, Williams said. She went without benefits for three years.

Reached by phone at her Durant home Tuesday night, Dobbs said she was not aware of the ruling. She said she expects to know more today after officials discuss the ruling with the media.

The settlement requires the Social Security Administration to pay $500 million in back benefits to as many as 80,000 people and restore benefits to as many as 200,000. The administration also changed the policy to affect only people with flight or escape attempts.

An attorney for the plaintiffs said many of those affected by the suspended payments were not aware of their warrants, some of which were decades old. Dobbs and others tried unsuccessfully to appeal the suspensions.

The judge set a Sept. 10 deadline for any objections to the proposed settlement to be filed and set another hearing Sept. 24.

Contributing: The Associated Press and Staff Writer Michael Kimball