PORTLAND, Ore. — For months, Margaret Swoboda, a 100-year-old retired federal employee from Northeast Portland, fought a frustrating battle to prove she was still alive — and to get back the federal pension payments that kept her financially afloat.
Her $2,400 monthly pension, which she had received without interruption for nearly 40 years, was abruptly stopped on September 1 after the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) flagged her account and demanded “proof of life.” The agency required a notarized form, a copy of her state ID, and a photo of her holding a current newspaper showing the date — all within 30 days.
But Swoboda, who is legally blind, never saw the initial letter sent in June. By the time her son discovered it, the deadline had passed. That set off a scramble to gather the documents, obtain a new state ID, get the forms notarized, and send them to Washington by certified mail.
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Despite their efforts, the money stopped.
A Bureaucratic Nightmare
Swoboda and her son Gary tried repeatedly to reach the OPM. Each call led to a voicemail box. Each message went unanswered.
“Yes, I’m alive,” she said she told them in one voicemail. “You evil people stole my money. You have no business touching it. I was alive. I still am. And I’m ready for a good fight.”
With no reply from the agency, the family reached out to The Oregonian/OregonLive, which brought the story to public attention. Reporters contacted U.S. Senator Ron Wyden’s office, which promptly intervened.
“Actually, I’m 100 and I can’t fight,” Swoboda quipped. “But I’m not through yet.”
A Lifetime of Service
Swoboda’s frustration stems from a career devoted to the very government now questioning her existence. She began working for the U.S. Navy as an 18-year-old stenographer during World War II, later joining the Bureau of Land Management and finally the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, where she retired in 1985.
Her pension — and survivor benefits from her late husband, also a federal employee — have been her primary source of income, supplemented only by a modest Social Security check.
Money Restored, But No Apology
This week, the battle appeared to end — or at least pause. When Swoboda checked her bank account on Wednesday, she discovered a $4,800 deposit, covering the two months she had gone unpaid.
The OPM never contacted her directly to confirm reinstatement, nor did it respond to media requests for comment. Whether the sudden turnaround came from her paperwork, Wyden’s office, or public pressure remains unclear.
Her son called the experience “ludicrous” and “a huge inconvenience.” Both mother and son remain skeptical that the issue is fully resolved. “We’ll see,” Gary said. “November will be the final proof they haven’t screwed this up.”
Larger Questions Remain
The OPM has not explained why Swoboda was targeted for a proof-of-life request or how many other retirees face similar situations each year. It’s also unclear if these checks have become more frequent under President Donald Trump’s administration amid ongoing cost-cutting efforts.
For Swoboda, the ordeal highlights a deeper problem. “I’m lucky I had my son and people willing to help,” she said. “But what about others who don’t?”
At 100 years old, she remains grateful for the public support — and her hard-won victory over the bureaucracy. Still, she says, it shouldn’t take national attention just to prove she’s alive.
