Trump and Musk exaggerate claims of dead people receiving Social Security

In recent statements, public figures within the Trump administration, including President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, circulated claims suggesting that numerous individuals aged over 100 years were wrongfully receiving Social Security benefits. This assertion sparked a significant dialogue about improper payments within the Social Security Administration (SSA) and highlighted the agency's ongoing struggles with its record-keeping systems. Many of these claims resulted from misunderstandings regarding the database that contains records of deceased individuals, which mistakenly marked some as alive due to technical flaws in its software. A July 2024 report from the Social Security's inspector general indicated that the agency disbursed nearly $8.6 trillion in benefits from fiscal years 2015 to 2022, with less than 1% classified as improper payments. Although there were mentions of improper payments made to deceased individuals, the figures touted by Trump and Musk were criticized as grossly exaggerated and misleading. Technical issues with the Social Security database, specifically its COBOL software, have contributed to the confusion. The absence of a proper date type caused entries with incomplete birthdates to default incorrectly, leading to significant errors. Reports indicated that about 18.9 million Social Security numbers belonged to people born before 1920 who had yet to be marked as deceased. However, a subsequent inspector general's report confirmed that almost none of these individuals currently received payments. The fallout from these claims has raised concerns regarding the impact of misinformation on public perception of Social Security's financial health. Experts warn that portraying the problem as a straightforward case of fraud may create illusions about solving the system's financial issues without addressing deeper, more complex challenges, such as necessary reforms requiring increased taxes or reduced benefits.