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Feb 20, 2025

Social Security knew millions in system were dead, but are not receiving benefits

By Karah Rucker (Anchor/Reporter), Jake Larsen (Video Editor) Recent findings have placed the Social Security Administration (SSA) under scrutiny, as data reveals that more than 20 million people over

By Karah Rucker (Anchor/Reporter), Jake Larsen (Video Editor)

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:

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.”

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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.

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.

A 2023 audit found discrepancies between SSA records and Census Bureau data. According to the audit:

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.”

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.

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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.

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[Karah Rucker]

IN RECENT DAYS –

SOCIAL SECURITY HAS BEEN UNDER DOGE’S SPOTLIGHT –

THE TEAM SIFTING THROUGH DATABASES –

AND REVEALING MORE THAN 20 MILLION PEOPLE – OVER THE AGE OF 100 – ARE STILL **LISTED IN THE SYSTEM.

ELON MUSK POSTED THIS SCREENSHOT ON X –

SHOWING HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN THE SOCIAL SECURITY DATABASE – GROUPED BY AGE.

IT SHOWS 3.4 MILLION PEOPLE BETWEEN 120 AND 129 YEARS OLD.

IT SHOWS 3.5 MILLION PEOPLE BETWEEN 140 AND 149 YEARS OLD.

1.3 MILLION IN THEIR 150’S.

AND SO FORTH.

MUSK WROTE IN THE CAPTION –

“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.”

WHILE THE FINDINGS ARE NOW IN THE SPOTLIGHT –

THEY’RE NOT A NEW REVELATION FOR THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION –

AS INSPECTOR GENERAL REPORTS IN PREVIOUS YEARS DETAILED THE SAME CONCERNS OVER ALL THESE PEOPLE IN THE SYSTEM –

WHEN THEY’RE LIKELY DEAD.

BUT JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE LISTED IN THE DATABASE –

DOESN’T MEAN THEY’RE RECEIVING BENEFITS.

A SOCIAL SECURITY POLICY IMPLEMENTED IN 2015 AUTOMATICALLY **STOPS PAYMENTS TO ANYONE OVER THE AGE OF 115 YEARS OLD.

AND WHILE THE DOGE TEAM SIFTS THROUGH IN SEARCH OF FRAUD –

PRESIDENT TRUMP HIGHLIGHTED THE ISSUE IN A PRESS CONFERENCE TUESDAY IN FLORIDA.

“We have millions and millions of people over a hundred years old. Everybody knows that’s not so. We have a very corrupt country, very corrupt country and its a sad thing to say. But we’re figuring it out. But 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.”

THE PRESIDENT THERE SUGGESTED THE NUMBERS ARE EITHER “FRAUD OR INCOMPETENCE” BY THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION –

And SEVERAL INSPECTOR GENERAL REPORTS THROUGHOUT THE YEARS SUGGEST IT iS a LACK of UPDATES TO THE SYSTEM.

AN AUDIT FROM 2023 FOUND –

“the Census Bureau estimated approximately 86,000 individuals residing in the United States were age 100 or older –

THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION’S NUMIDENT – OR DATABASE – included approximately 18.9 million numberholders who were born in 1920 or earlier but had no death information on their record. Death information missing from the DATABASE and the DEATH MASTER FILE hampers both SOCIAL SECURITY and Government-wide efforts to prevent and detect fraud and misuse.”

UNDER RECOMMENDATIONS –

THE INSPECTOR GENERAL SUGGESTED THE SSA “ADD DEATH INFORMATION TO THE RECORDS” (highlight) – OFFERING 3 DIFFERENT METHODOLOGIES.

BUT CONCLUDED –

“THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION DISAGREED WITH OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.”

IN THE SSA’S RESPONSE TO THE AUDIT –

FORMER SOCIAL SECURITY CHIEF OF STAFF SCOTT FREY WROTE –

“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.”

THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION PREVIOUSLY SAID IT WOULD COST 9 MILLION DOLLARS TO UPDATE ITS SYSTEMS –

BUT ARGUES ITS NOT WORTH IT SINCE THESE INDIVIDUALS LISTED AS BEING OVER 115 YEARS OLD AREN’T RECEIVING BENEFITS –

THEY ARE JUST STILL IN THE SYSTEM LACKING DEATH RECORDS.

THE IG’S REPORT FOUND “ALMOST NONE OF THE NUMBERHOLDERS DISCUSSED IN THE REPORT WERE RECEIVING PAYMENTS.”

AN AUDIT LAST SUMMER FOUND OUT OF ALMOST 8.6 TRILLION DOLLARS PAID OUT IN BENEFITS – 72 BILLION WAS DEEMED AS “IMPROPER PAYMENTS” – THIS AMOUNTS TO LESS THAN ONE PERCENt – with most of the money being overpayments to living people.

IN EARLY JANUARY – THE U.S. TREASURY RECOVERED 31 MILLION DOLLARS IN A VARIETY OF GOVERNMENT PAYMENTS – INCLUDING SOCIAL SECURITY – IMPROPERLY PAID TO DEAD PEOPLE.

THE TREASURY SUSPECTS HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS MORE WILL BE RECOVERED THROUGH 2026.

WHILE THERE WASN’T A SUBSTANTIAL PERCENTAGE OF FRAUD FOUND IN THESE REPORTS –

THE PRESIDENT SAYS DOGE WILL DO ITS OWN AUDIT TO SEE IF THEY DISCOVER MORE AND SOCIAL SECURITY WON’T BE THE ONLY AGENCY GETTING THE DOGE COMB THROUGH TREATMENT.

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