U.S. Rep. Ron Barber Helps Two Constituents Recover More Than $100,000 From Social Security

Press Release

U.S. Rep. Ron Barber's constituent services team recently recovered more than $100,000 for two Southern Arizonans who had endured lengthy disputes with the Social Security Administration.

That is just a small portion of the $16.35 million that Barber's staff has recovered for Southern Arizonans since he took office a little more than two years ago.

One of the constituents who recently received money had been working with the Social Security Administration for nine years before contacting Barber's office. The other had worked with Social Security for two years before asking Barber's staff to become involved.

Neither constituent had any success in resolving their disputes until Barber's office intervened.

"Helping Southern Arizonans cut through the red tape with the federal government is one of my largest responsibilities as a member of Congress," Barber said. "That's why I put a priority on having one of the most active and most persistent teams of constituent service representatives in all of Congress."

Since Barber took office in mid-2012, his five constituent service representatives have received 3,750 requests for assistance. Nearly 1,000 of those cases still are being worked on.

Barber's staff has recovered $16,354,147.05 for constituents who were owed money from the federal government but had problems receiving it.

Two such people are Ernest Pugh and Joseph Liska Sr.

Pugh of Huachuca City served in the U.S. Army for 20 years and was a veteran of the Vietnam War, retiring as a staff sergeant. He later had a 20-year career as a civil servant.

Soon after Pugh retired in 1995, he suffered a debilitating stroke. In 2005, Pugh filed for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits with the assistance of a friend, Constance Jacques, who has power of attorney for Pugh. They also asked that Pugh's Social Security benefits be increased to reflect his time in the military. The requests were denied.

Jacques and Pugh continued their battle with the Social Security Administration -- "but they just ignored me," Jacques said recently.

In January of 2014 -- after nine years of unsuccessfully trying to resolve the issue -- they turned to Barber's constituent services team for assistance.

They recently received a check for $39,000 -- reimbursement for underpayments since 1995. Monthly benefits payments for Pugh, who now is 79 years old, also were increased by about $200.

"After years of trying to resolve this, it was resolved in a matter of months by Congressman Barber's office," Jacques said. "That was the only way this problem was resolved."

Liska of Tucson also brought a lengthy and unsuccessful Social Security dispute to Barber's office -- and he also found resolution.

Liska had not received Social Security Disability benefits he was owed dating back to 2009. After not being able to resolve the issue, he contacted the office of then-Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in December 2011 seeking assistance. Liska's case continued to be worked on by Barber's staff after he took office in mid-2012.

Earlier this year -- after working on the case for more than two years -- Barber's team persuaded Social Security officials that Liska was owed money. He received a check for about $49,000 for back benefits and his son received about $18,000 as the dependent of a person with a disability. Liska also is receiving regular monthly payments.

"Ron Barber and his staff got me my $67,000 in back pay," Liska said. "They helped get everything moving faster."

Requests for help come from veterans and active-duty military, seniors with issues related to Social Security and Medicare benefits and families seeking to refinance their mortgages. There also are numerous requests for assistance with passports, visas, tax returns and foreign travel problems.

Some issues can be resolved relatively quickly. But others, depending on the complexity of the issue and the agencies involved, can take months or even years.

The names of those who ask Barber's office for assistance as well as the details of their issue are kept confidential. But Pugh and Liska gave permission for their names and stories to be used to illustrate the type of assistance available to Southern Arizonans though Barber's office.

Constituent services are available at Barber's offices in Tucson and Sierra Vista from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and at office hours in communities throughout Southern Arizona.

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