The new head of the Social Security Administration stated on Wednesday that individuals listed as over 100 years old in the system are “not necessarily receiving benefits,” countering assertions that millions of deceased individuals over that age are collecting checks.
Lee Dudek, the acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration appointed by President Trump, noted in a statement on February 19 that these individuals “are people in our records with a Social Security number who do not have a date of death associated with their record.”
This clarification follows comments made by Mr. Trump and billionaire advisor Elon Musk, who suggested on social media and during press briefings that those who are 100, 200, or even 300 years old are improperly receiving benefits.
Due to the non-public nature of Social Security records, it’s impossible to independently verify Musk’s assertions. However, the Social Security Administration has an established protocol to automatically cease payments to individuals who exceed 115 years of age, a rule that has been in place since September 2015.
Musk, whose Department of Government Efficiency aims to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse, made a series of posts on his social media platform X, including the statement: “Maybe Twilight is real and there are a lot of vampires collecting Social Security.”
While there are indeed cases of overpayments and fraud within the Social Security system, a July 2024 report from the agency’s inspector general highlighted that from fiscal years 2015 to 2022, nearly $8.6 trillion was dispensed in benefits, with $71.8 billion—less than 1%—representing improper payments, mostly due to overpayments to living individuals.
Social Security and COBOL
Part of the confusion stems from the use of a COBOL-based software system at Social Security, which lacks a date type. Consequently, some records with missing or incomplete birth dates automatically default to a reference point over 150 years old.
The news outlet WIRED first reported on the agency’s reliance on COBOL, a programming language that is more than 60 years old.
Furthermore, a series of reports from the Social Security Administration’s inspector general in March 2023 and July 2024 indicated the agency has not implemented a proper system to accurately record death information, which includes around 18.9 million Social Security numbers of individuals born in 1920 or earlier but who have not been marked as deceased. It’s important to note, however, that this does not imply these individuals are receiving benefits.
The agency chose not to update its database due to the estimated cost exceeding $9 million.
A July 2023 report from the Social Security OIG confirmed that “almost none of the numberholders discussed in the report currently receive SSA payments.”
DOGE at the Social Security Administration
Dudek, who took over as acting chief of the Social Security Administration following the resignation of Michelle King, reinforced the agency’s commitment to transparency. The concluding lines of his statement addressed recent reports regarding individuals older than 100 receiving benefits from the agency.
Dudek emphasized that the agency’s priority remains “paying beneficiaries the right amount at the right time and providing other critical services people rely on from us.”
He also noted that DOGE personnel “CANNOT make changes to agency systems, benefit payments, or other information. They only have READ access.”
“I am confident that with DOGE’s assistance and the dedication of our executive team and workforce, Social Security will continue to serve the American populace effectively,” Dudek remarked.
Treasury clawbacks
In early January, the U.S. Treasury retrieved over $31 million in various federal payments—not just Social Security payments—that had improperly gone to deceased individuals. Former Treasury official David Lebryk stated that this recovery was “just the tip of the iceberg.”
This amount was reclaimed through a five-month pilot program following Congress granting the Department of Treasury temporary access to the Social Security Administration’s “Full Death Master File” for three years as part of the omnibus appropriations bill in 2021. The SSA maintains the most comprehensive federal database of deceased individuals, now containing over 142 million records dating back to 1899, according to the Treasury.
The Treasury estimated that it would recover more than $215 million during its three-year access term, which spans from December 2023 through 2026.
Chuck Blahous, a senior research strategist at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, commented, “Two cheers for Elon Musk if he can identify and stop improper payments.”
However, he added that while there are areas in the federal government with high error rates, “Social Security would be near the bottom of the list, not near the top.” He noted that improper payment rates for Medicaid are significantly higher and have escalated following the Medicaid expansion under the ACA.
“While it’s important to address any improper payments found, let’s not misrepresent this as the primary source of the system’s financial issues,” he concluded.
Sita Nataraj Slavov, a public policy professor at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University, described the claims made by Musk and Trump as potentially misleading, leading people to believe that solutions to the government’s financial challenges are simpler than they are.
“The main concern is that this claim may mislead the public into believing there’s a straightforward solution to Social Security’s financial issues—suggesting we can restore solvency without incurring higher taxes or reduced benefits,” Slavov explained. “This is simply not accurate.”
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt referred back to the Social Security inspector general’s report, stating, “A previous investigation found that the SSA made at least $71.8 billion in improper payments. The Social Security Administration is now taking steps to uncover even more waste, fraud, and abuse as part of the government’s broader initiative to safeguard American taxpayers.”
