A North Shore woman is pleading for help after she claimed her Social Security payments were halted without explanation. — A North Shore woman is pleading for help after she claimed her Social Security payments were halted without explanation.
Karyn Lawrence told Boston 25 she suffers from a degenerative spinal cord injury after a bad fall in 2019.
That year, she went on disability and received federal payments.
Two years later, looking to get off disability, she was accepted into the PASS program — standing for Plan to Achieve Self Support.
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She has received funding through this program, she said, for the last four years as she pursued both her bachelor’s and master’s degree in criminology from UMass-Lowell.
At the turn of 2026, she said her program funding was halted by social security. After reaching out to representatives and appealing, she said she heard nothing from the federal offices.
She reached out to Congressman Moulton’s office claiming she’s been working with one of their case managers to contact social security.
Lawrence told Boston 25 Congressman Moulton’s office has only received a couple responses about her case, claiming social security representatives said they were looking into it.
She said neither she or Congressman Moulton’s team have been given any explanation as to why her program funding may have been cut off.
Lawrence claimed she has had no income in 2026. She fears her education and housing are both on the line if something isn’t done.
“Why would you have this program and then make it so difficult to achieve the goals that are outlined,” she asked. “You’ve done absolutely everything right, and you’re about to lose your housing. You are about to become food insecure. I haven’t been paid in 2026.”
Lawrence claimed she is a 4.0 student on the chancellor’s list and is set to graduate in May of 2027. This week, without answers, she may have to put school to the side.
She also claimed her subsidized housing is up on Monday, and she could be evicted.
Lawrence finished, “I don’t know what to do next... If this is happening to me, it’s 100% happening to other people.”
Boston 25 has reached out to Congressman Moulton’s office and social security Monday and are still waiting to hear back.
A representative from UMass-Lowell said they are looking into Lawrence’s case.
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