Call for Action helps widow get husband’s last paycheck

LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. – A woman’s husband of 23 years died suddenly. When she could not get his last paycheck, she turned to WINK News Call for Action for help.

“He was my heart, my soul, my everything, the other half of me,” said Kim Radigan about her late husband John who died suddenly last September.

Paying the bills, which was something John always took care, now became Radigan’s responsibility. She said she notified John’s employer, Walmart, of his death but getting his last paycheck became a problem.

“Everyday it was a fight. Everyday it was just we can’t help you,” said Radigan when talking about trying to get John’s last paycheck from Walmart. “From like 9:00 am to four or five o’clock in the afternoon… I couldn’t take it anymore. I needed food, I needed to pay my bills, I needed my rescue inhaler and no one could help.”

Radigan told us the problem stemmed from John’s money being put on a pre-paid money card. Every pay period, instead of a check, he got money on his money card. But without a PIN, Radigan had no way to access his earnings.

“Twenty three years with my husband he told me not to ever worry about anything,” she explained. “So I never needed a PIN because he did everything for me. And [Walmart] said, ‘sorry we don’t know what to do [without a PIN], we’re sorry for your loss.’ ”

After several calls to Walmart, she said the company told her she needed to send in documents proving her husband’s death, which she said she did, along with their marriage certificate. She also said Walmart was demanding paperwork proving she had power of attorney. Frustrated she still could not get the money, she picked up the phone one more time.

“Someone at the church said try WINK News they seem to make progress with people. It won’t hurt,” she recalled.

One of our volunteers started working the case and Radigan said she finally got the check.

We reached out to Walmart for a statement and they did not respond.