- Millions of deceased individuals are still listed in the Social Security Administration’s system. However, benefits stopped being paid to those listed over 115 years old.
- The issue has recently been spotlighted by DOGE in its search for government fraud and waste.
- An audit found that missing death records hamper fraud prevention efforts, but the SSA argues the cost of fixing the issue outweighs the benefits.
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Recent findings have placed the Social Security Administration (SSA) under scrutiny, as data reveals that more than 20 million people over the age of 100 are still listed in its system.
Elon Musk highlighted the issue by posting a screenshot on X, showing the number of individuals in the Social Security database grouped by age. Here is some of the data:
- 3.4 million people are listed as being between 120 and 129 years old.
- 3.5 million are between 140 and 149 years old.
- 1.3 million are in their 150s.
Musk captioned the post, saying, “According to the Social Security database, these are the numbers of people in each age bucket with the death field set to FALSE! Maybe Twilight is real and there are a lot of vampires collecting Social Security.”
SSA has known about the issue for years
While these findings are now in the spotlight, they are not new to the Social Security Administration. Inspector general reports from previous years have raised similar concerns, identifying millions of deceased individuals still present in the system.
However, being listed in the database does not mean these individuals are receiving benefits. A Social Security policy implemented in 2015 automatically stops payments to anyone over the age of 115.
President Trump addresses the issue
Former President Donald Trump commented on the matter during a press conference Tuesday in Florida.
“We have millions and millions of people over a hundred years old,” Trump said. “Everybody knows that’s not so. We have a very corrupt country, very corrupt country, and it’s a sad thing to say. But we’re figuring it out. The good thing about Social Security and what I read is if you take all those numbers off because they’re obviously fraudulent or incompetent — if you take those people off Social Security, we have a very competent Social Security.”
Trump suggested the numbers reflect either “fraud or incompetence” within the SSA. Several inspector general reports over the years indicate the issue stems from a lack of updates to the system.
Inspector general’s findings
A 2023 audit found discrepancies between SSA records and Census Bureau data. According to the audit:
- The Census Bureau estimated approximately 86,000 U.S. residents were age 100 or older.
- The SSA’s database included approximately 18.9 million number holders born in 1920 or earlier, with no death information on their records.
- The absence of death records hampers efforts to prevent and detect fraud and misuse, according to the Office of Inspector General.
The inspector general recommended adding death information to the records using three different methodologies. However, the SSA rejected these recommendations.
Former SSA Chief of Staff Scott Frey responded, stating, “While we understand the inspector general’s assumption that these individuals are likely deceased, we do not have death information for these individuals. We found that the possible solutions would have limited or no benefit for the administration of our programs and were too costly to implement.”
Cost and impact of the issue
The SSA previously estimated that updating its system would cost $9 million. The agency argues the update is unnecessary since individuals over 115 years old are not receiving benefits — they simply remain in the system without recorded death dates.
The inspector general’s report found “almost none of the number holders discussed in the report were receiving payments.”
A 2023 audit revealed that out of nearly $8.6 trillion in benefits paid, $72 billion were deemed “improper payments.” However, these account for less than 1% of total payments, with most classified as overpayments to living individuals.
In early January, the U.S. Treasury recovered $31 million in improper government payments, including Social Security funds sent to deceased individuals. Officials estimate hundreds of millions more will be recovered through 2026.
DOGE team to conduct its own review
While the inspector general’s findings did not reveal a substantial percentage of fraud, Trump announced that DOGE would conduct its own audit to further investigate the issue. The Social Security Administration will not be the only agency undergoing review.
