In Washington, the newly appointed head of the Social Security Administration (SSA) clarified on Wednesday that claims regarding deceased centenarians receiving benefits are inaccurate. This statement counters recent assertions made by former President Donald Trump and billionaire advisor Elon Musk, who had suggested that millions of individuals over the age of 100 were improperly collecting payments from the agency.
Lee Dudek, who is now acting commissioner of the SSA after his appointment by President Trump, spoke out following misleading social media statements from Trump and Musk. The duo had claimed that people aged 100, 200, and even 300 years are receiving benefits, with Trump alleging that these instances resulted from either fraudulent activity or incompetence. He pointed out that if these so-called “centenarians” were removed from the rolls, it would significantly strengthen the Social Security program.
During a briefing in Florida on Tuesday, Trump emphasized, “We have millions and millions of people over 100 years old receiving Social Security benefits.” He further mentioned a bizarre assertion that there is a person listed in the system as being 360 years old. Musk also contributed to the misinformation by posting on his social media platform, X, asserting absurd scenarios about the existence of vampires collecting Social Security benefits and highlighting the existence of falsified records of deceased individuals.
The truth, however, is substantially different. Reports state that while improper payments have occurred, including those to deceased persons, the number of centenarians receiving benefits is greatly exaggerated. This discrepancy stems from issues within Social Security’s outdated COBOL-based software system, which lacks modern date functions. Consequently, entries with missing or incomplete birthdates default to earlier centuries, leading to confusion.
Additionally, recent audits conducted by the SSA Inspector General revealed significant shortcomings in updating the death records in the agency’s database. Specifically, millions of Social Security numbers correspond to individuals born in 1920 or earlier who remain unlabeled as deceased. However, these entries do not imply that any of these individuals are currently collecting benefits.
The agency chose not to rectify this issue due to the considerable costs involved—estimated to exceed $9 million. A report released in July 2023 indicated that “almost none of the numberholders discussed in the report currently receive SSA payments.” The SSA also noted that as of September 2015, any benefits automatically cease for individuals who surpass the age of 115.
In light of the ongoing speculation regarding centenarians, Dudek reiterated the SSA’s commitment to transparency in a statement made on Wednesday. He clarified that there is a misunderstanding regarding the data, stating, “The reported data are people in our records with a Social Security number who do not have a date of death associated with their record. These individuals are not necessarily receiving benefits.” Dudek expressed confidence in the agency’s operational efficacy, emphasizing their commitment to serve the American public efficiently.
Addressing the issue of Social Security fraud, a report from the SSA’s Inspector General indicated that between fiscal years 2015 and 2022, the agency disbursed nearly $8.6 trillion in benefits; with improper payments totaling about $71.8 billion, less than 1% of the total. Most errors reported involved overpayments to living individuals, and the U.S. Treasury recently reclaimed over $31 million in various federal payments that had been erroneously issued to deceased persons.
Experts express caution regarding the spread of misinformation pertaining to Social Security payments. Chuck Blahous from the Mercatus Center at George Mason University acknowledged Musk’s efforts in tackling improper payments but highlighted that Social Security is not the sector of the federal government with the highest error rates. Instead, he pointed out that the Medicaid program has significantly higher improper payment rates.
Similarly, Sita Nataraj Slavov from the Schar School of Policy and Government emphasized that misrepresentations by public figures like Musk and Trump could lead people to believe there are easy solutions to the broader financial challenges facing Social Security. She cautioned against assuming that fixing these issues would not require difficult trade-offs, such as increased taxes or reduced benefits.
The White House, represented by spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, reinforced the findings of the SSA inspector general report, acknowledging the improper payments made by the agency and highlighting ongoing efforts to root out any waste and fraud in governmental operations aimed at safeguarding taxpayers.
