Fact Check: Dead people are claiming social security checks

Fact Check: "Dead people are claiming social security checks"

What We Know

Recent claims made by former President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk suggested that "tens of millions of dead people" are receiving Social Security checks, with Musk even stating that some individuals are listed as being over 300 years old. These assertions have been widely reported and discussed across various media platforms (AP News, MarketWatch).

However, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has clarified that while there are indeed records of individuals over the age of 100 without a recorded date of death, this does not imply that they are receiving benefits. According to the SSA, the database includes historical records, and many of these individuals are not currently receiving payments (AP News, CBS News).

A July 2024 report from the SSA's inspector general indicated that improper payments, including those to deceased individuals, accounted for less than 1% of total payments made from 2015 to 2022, amounting to approximately $71.8 billion in improper payments over that period (AP News, FactCheck.org).

Analysis

The claims made by Trump and Musk rely on a misunderstanding of the SSA's data systems. The SSA uses a COBOL-based system that can default to incorrect ages when birthdates are missing or incomplete. This has led to confusion regarding the number of individuals over 100 years old in their records (AP News, MarketWatch).

Critically, the assertion that "tens of millions" of dead people are collecting benefits is not supported by evidence. The SSA has stated that almost none of the individuals discussed in the reports currently receive payments (AP News). Furthermore, an analysis of the data revealed that only a handful of checks were identified as going to beneficiaries over the age of 112, which is consistent with the expected demographic distribution of Social Security payments (MarketWatch, FactCheck.org).

The sources of these claims, particularly from Trump and Musk, lack rigorous verification and seem to exaggerate the scale of the issue. The credibility of their statements is further undermined by the fact that they do not align with the findings of the SSA's own reports, which indicate a much lower incidence of improper payments than suggested (ABC News, New York Times).

Conclusion

The claim that "dead people are claiming social security checks" is False. While there are inaccuracies in the SSA's records regarding the ages of individuals without a recorded date of death, the assertion that millions of deceased individuals are receiving benefits is not substantiated by evidence. The SSA has mechanisms in place to prevent payments to deceased individuals, and the rate of improper payments is significantly lower than what has been claimed by Trump and Musk.

Sources

1. Tens of millions of dead people aren't getting Social Security checks ...
2. 150-Year-Olds Aren't Getting Social Security – Here’s a Better ...
3. Social Security Provides Update about its Death Record | SSA
4. US recovers $31 million in federal payments to dead people
5. Trump and Musk Suggest Millions of Dead People Get Social Security ...
6. Musk misreads Social Security data, millions of dead people ... - ABC News
7. New Social Security chief refutes claims of deceased people over 100 ...
8. Trump, Musk Exaggerate Scale of Improper Social Security Payments to ...