Are Millions of Dead People Really Receiving Social Security Benefits? Here’s the Truth!

Recent claims by former President Donald Trump and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk suggest that millions of deceased individuals—some over 100 years old—are still receiving Social Security benefits. If true, this would mean massive fraud, waste, or mismanagement in the Social Security Administration (SSA). However, the reality is far less dramatic than these claims suggest. While some improper payments do occur, the scale is significantly smaller than what’s being reported. Let’s break down the facts, what’s really happening, and how the SSA is addressing these issues.

Shocking Claim: Are Millions of Dead People Really Receiving Social Security Benefits?

The Social Security Administration (SSA) is responsible for issuing payments to retired, disabled, and surviving beneficiaries. With more than 70 million Americans receiving benefits, mistakes do happen, but not at the scale being claimed.

• Trump’s Claim: At a recent press briefing, Trump suggested that “millions and millions of people over 100 years old” were still receiving benefits.
• Musk’s Statement: Musk pointed to SSA records showing 20 million individuals aged 100+, implying large-scale fraud.

These statements imply that millions of deceased individuals are fraudulently receiving Social Security payments. But let’s look at the facts.

Outdated Records, Not Fraud

The Social Security database contains records of people who lived well over 100 years ago, but that doesn’t mean they’re actively receiving payments. Many of these individuals were recorded before modern database updates were implemented.

Why Do These Records Exist?

• The SSA uses COBOL, an outdated programming language, which sometimes assigns default ages (150+) when birth records are incomplete.
• Some records were never updated, meaning people who died decades ago still exist in the database, but they are not receiving checks.

How Many People Are Actually Getting Improper Payments?

According to a 2023 SSA audit, approximately 18.9 million records lacked official death documentation. However, “almost none” of these individuals were actually receiving Social Security benefits.

SSA Inspector General’s Report (2015-2022):

• Total Social Security Payments: $8.6 trillion
• Improper Payments (Overpayments, Deceased, or Mistakes): $71.8 billion (~0.8%)
• Fraudulent Payments to the Deceased: A small fraction of improper payments

These mistakes do exist, but the real percentage is much lower than what Trump and Musk implied.

The Government Is Already Fixing These Issues

The SSA and the U.S. Treasury Department have systems in place to identify and recover improper payments.

Recent Recovery Efforts:

• $31 million was recovered in a five-month period in 2024.
• $215 million is expected to be recovered by 2026.

In other words, these errors are being actively fixed—not ignored.

The Bigger Issue: Delayed Death Reporting and Outdated Technology

Rather than large-scale fraud, delayed death reporting is the real problem. The SSA relies on multiple sources, including families, funeral homes, and government agencies, to report deaths. Delays in reporting create a temporary window where payments might still go out. However, these payments are usually identified and recovered.

What Can Be Done to Improve Accuracy?

The SSA has already taken steps to reduce improper payments, but further improvements are needed:

• Modernizing SSA Technology: Updating systems to replace outdated COBOL-based software.
• Enhanced Data Sharing: Strengthening data-sharing agreements between government agencies to ensure timely death reporting.
• Public Awareness: Encouraging families and caregivers to report deaths promptly to prevent improper payments.