Persistence Paid Off: Securing Returned SSA Benefits for a Young Adult

For young people aging out of foster care, turning 18 often brings more uncertainty than celebration. Overnight, they can lose the structure of placement, the support of a case manager, and sometimes even access to financial benefits they are legally entitled to receive. That’s exactly what happened to one young woman represented by Crossroads.

Lisa Kilbride has worked with her since 2021, when she entered the dependency system as a bright but deeply struggling teenager. Her life has been marked by instability, trauma, and periods of running from placements. Stability has never come easily, and the path forward has often been complicated. Even so, she maintained one steady connection: Lisa. That ongoing relationship made it possible for Lisa to continue advocating for her needs as she approached adulthood.

As her 18th birthday neared, Lisa discovered that the young woman had been denied Social Security benefits she was legally owed. Due to an administrative error, those funds had been returned to the Social Security Administration (SSA) instead of being provided to her. The mistake needed to be corrected — these were her benefits, and she had a right to receive them.

What followed was months of persistent advocacy. Lisa made repeated calls, visited the SSA office multiple times, coordinated with the Department of Children and Families, and ultimately brought the issue before the dependency court to break through the bureaucratic standstill. She refused to let the system’s mistake become the young woman’s loss.

Finally, after securing the necessary documentation and pushing the process forward, the SSA issued a check for the full amount owed. It was sent directly to her Lisa’s office — the one stable point of contact in her life. That ensured the funds actually reached her rather than being lost or returned again.

In a life where systems have often fallen short, this was one of the few times something went right — not by luck, but because someone made sure it did. And it mattered. Those benefits meant the ability to contribute to rent, afford transportation, and maintain basic necessities while pursuing her education and employment goals.

This case shows what Crossroads does best: making sure young adults receive what they’re owed and have a fairer path toward independence.