WASHINGTON — Claims by the Trump administration that tens of millions of deceased individuals over 100 years old are receiving Social Security benefits are inaccurate.
President Trump and Elon Musk recently asserted on social media and during press briefings that individuals aged 100, 200, and even 300 years old are improperly receiving benefits—a significant issue, according to Musk, as his investigation into federal agencies targets waste, fraud, and abuse.
While improper payments, including some to deceased individuals, have occurred, the figures cited by Musk and the White House are exaggerated and misrepresent Social Security data.
Here’s a factual account:
The Trump administration’s statements on payments to centenarians
During a Florida press briefing, President Trump stated that millions of people over 100 years old receive Social Security benefits, labeling them fraudulent or incompetent. He also mentioned a purported recipient listed as 360 years old.
Musk similarly posted on X, suggesting the possibility of vampires collecting Social Security and highlighting the significant problem of tens of millions of deceased individuals incorrectly marked as alive in the system.
The extent of Social Security fraud
A report from Social Security’s inspector general indicates that from fiscal years 2015 to 2022, approximately $71.8 billion (less than 1%) of the nearly $8.6 trillion in benefits paid out were improper payments. Most errors involved overpayments to living individuals.
In early January, the U.S. Treasury recovered over $31 million in federal payments (not solely Social Security) made to deceased individuals—a fraction of the anticipated total. This recovery was part of a pilot program following Congress granting the Treasury temporary access to the Social Security Administration’s “Full Death Master File”. This file, containing over 142 million records dating back to 1899, is maintained by the SSA.
The Treasury projected recovering over $215 million during its three-year access period (December 2023 to 2026).
Are tens of millions of people over 100 receiving benefits?
No.
The confusion stems partly from Social Security’s COBOL-based software system’s lack of a robust date type. Incomplete birthdates default to a reference point over 150 years ago. WIRED first reported on the use of COBOL at the Social Security Administration.
Reports from the Social Security Administration’s inspector general (March 2023 and July 2024) revealed the agency’s failure to implement a system for properly annotating death information, involving roughly 18.9 million Social Security numbers of individuals born in 1920 or earlier but not marked as deceased. This doesn’t imply benefit receipt.
The agency cited the high cost (over $9 million) as the reason for not updating the database.
A report indicates almost no individuals discussed in the report currently receive SSA payments. The agency automatically halts payments to those over 115.
Concerns about misinformation on Social Security payments
Chuck Blahous, a senior research strategist, supports efforts to eliminate improper payments but notes that Social Security’s error rate is comparatively low compared to other federal programs like Medicaid.
Sita Nataraj Slavov, a professor of public policy, expressed concern that these claims oversimplify solutions to Social Security’s financial problems, potentially misleading the public into believing easy fixes exist without necessary sacrifices.
The White House’s response to criticism
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt referenced a Social Security inspector general report highlighting improper payments and stated that the Social Security Administration is actively working to address waste, fraud, and abuse.