The US Social Security Administration (SSA) has made progress in resolving issues related to potentially deceased individuals listed in its records, according to a recent statement from the agency.
Significant work has been done to identify and correct beneficiary records of people 100 years old or older, who may not have a date of death associated with their record. The SSA emphasizes that while these individuals may not be receiving benefits, maintaining accurate and complete records is crucial.
The issue was raised by President Donald Trump during his address to Congress, where he claimed “shocking levels of incompetence and probable fraud” in the Social Security program for seniors. He noted that 3.47 million Social Security members aged 120-129 years old, 3.5 million people aged 140-149 years, and over 130,000 individuals over 160 years old were listed.
The SSA has acknowledged these inconsistencies and is working to correct them. The agency collects data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to identify individuals who have not used their Medicare benefits in three years, serving as an indicator to determine whether they are aged 90 or above. If identified as deceased, payment is stopped, and any suspicions of fraud are reported to the SSA’s Office of the Inspector General.
Acting Commissioner Lee Dudek thanked Trump for highlighting these inconsistencies and expressed commitment to rooting out fraud and abuse in programs. The agency has also made retroactive payments to millions of beneficiaries whose benefits were reduced or eliminated due to certain provisions, with over $7.5 billion paid so far this year.
As part of the SSA’s efforts under the Trump administration, the agency aims to save $800 million for fiscal year 2025 through cost-saving initiatives in areas such as payroll and information technology.
Source: https://signalscv.com/2025/03/social-security-rectifying-records-of-people-aged-100-or-older