Mary Gates

Mary Gates worked most of her life, picking up her first job at just 12 years old to help her family, who moved to the District from Mississippi. When Ms. Gates later developed a disability, the many years she spent working and paying into Social Security qualified her for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). With her SSDI benefits, she was able to make ends meet, care for her family, and maintain the home she owns in Northwest DC.  

Ms. Gates returned to her career in contracts and procurement in 2024, accepting a job with the DC government. When an SSDI recipient starts earning an income that puts them over the program’s limit, their benefits eventually stop. If their income drops again, the benefits automatically resume.  

But when Ms. Gates lost her job in March of 2025, the SSDI safety net she was counting on wasn’t there. She called the Social Security Administration repeatedly and either got no answer or was told to wait for them to process her paperwork. In March 2026, with her nephew’s encouragement, Ms. Gates reached out to Legal Aid DC and was connected with Senior Staff Attorney Stacy Cloyd.  

“Unfortunately, the Social Security Administration has lost a lot of staff and much of the expertise required to deal with complex issues like Ms. Gates’ case,” Stacy said. “Beneficiaries can see that in the agency’s customer service, and it’s making it harder for them to get issues resolved.”

Stacy helped Ms. Gates submit the required documents. Then, she followed up repeatedly with the local Social Security Administration field office, the Area Work Incentives Coordinator, and the Payment Center to ensure that the case was processed quickly and correctly.  

But in the meantime, Ms. Gates had fallen behind on her bills. Her car was repossessed, she couldn’t make her mortgage and condo fee payments, and she was afraid of losing the home she had owned for nearly 30 years. Stacy was able to help Ms. Gates get a “critical payment” in May 2026 to get her car back. In June, Social Security paid out a portion of her back benefits and confirmed more was on the way. Finally, in July 2026, her regular monthly payments restarted.  

Watch Ms. Gates share her story with WUSA9