WASHINGTON — On Wednesday, the newly appointed acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA), Lee Dudek, clarified that reports regarding deceased centenarians receiving benefits are exaggerated. This statement contradicts claims made by former President Donald Trump and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, who had suggested that millions of individuals over the age of 100 are improperly obtaining payments from the agency.
During a recent press briefing in Florida, Trump claimed, “We have millions and millions of people over 100 years old” receiving Social Security benefits and labeled this situation as fraudulent or incompetent. He further asserted that the system includes individuals listed as being over 300 years old, suggesting if these individuals were removed from the system, it would bolster Social Security’s financial standing.
Musk, who leads initiatives aimed at reducing inefficiency in government, took to social media to express similar sentiments, humorously insinuating that perhaps supernatural beings like vampires are exploiting the system, as he noted, “Some of these people would have been alive before America existed.”
Despite the claims regarding substantial numbers of centenarians receiving benefits, the reality is different. The SSA’s records, particularly due to older software systems using COBOL programming, may incorrectly reflect ages, with some entries lacking adequate birthdate information defaulting to over 150 years ago.
Additionally, reports by the SSA’s inspector general indicated that while there may indeed be inaccuracies with death records — including approximately 18.9 million Social Security numbers for individuals born in 1920 or earlier — it does not imply that these individuals are currently receiving benefits. The agency has refrained from updating these records due to the projected costs, estimated at over $9 million.
As per a July 2023 report from the SSA’s inspector general, the findings suggested that “almost none of the numberholders discussed in the report currently receive SSA payments.” Furthermore, the agency automatically stops payments for anyone exceeding 115 years of age.
Dudek emphasized the SSA’s commitment to transparency in a statement released Wednesday and acknowledged the misunderstanding surrounding the data, noting that the individuals reported without a death date in their records do not necessarily receive payments.
According to a report from the SSA’s inspector general released in July 2024, the overall financial outlay for benefits from fiscal years 2015 through 2022 totaled nearly $8.6 trillion, with roughly $71.8 billion — less than 1% — identified as improper payments, most of which pertained to overpayments made to living individuals.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Treasury reclaimed over $31 million in payments that had inadvertently been sent to deceased individuals across various federal programs. This recovery action, described as just the beginning, was part of a pilot initiative where the Treasury gained temporary access to the SSA’s comprehensive death records.
Amid the discussions about fraud and misinformation surrounding Social Security payments, experts remind that while it’s vital to address erroneous payments, the extent of issues within SSA may be less severe compared to programs like Medicaid, which has seen considerable improper payment rates, particularly after the Affordable Care Act’s expansion.
Sita Nataraj Slavov, an academic in public policy, warned that such claims about rampant fraud could mislead the public into thinking that resolving governmental financial complications is more straightforward than it actually is. The overall complexity of Social Security’s financial challenges cannot be remedied by merely eliminating fraudulent payments, as this false narrative may arise following misleading portrayals of the situation.
In response to the allegations, a White House spokesperson reaffirmed the SSA’s ongoing efforts to investigate improper payments, emphasizing that the agency is dedicated to safeguarding taxpayer interests in the face of waste, fraud, and abuse. The narrative surrounding Social Security continues to develop as more information emerges and stakeholders engage in critical discussions about its future sustainability.
