Social Security Chief Says Millions Of Dead People On Record 'Not Necessarily Receiving Benefits'

 The new Commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA), Lee Dudek, addressed public concerns about records showing millions of deceased individuals receiving benefits. This discussion was prompted by comments from President Trump, entrepreneur Elon Musk, and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

• Commissioner Dudek stated that claims suggesting over 100-year-olds are receiving benefits are likely exaggerated. He clarified that these individuals are listed in SSA records without a date of death but are not necessarily receiving benefits.

• Dudek expressed confidence in the audits being conducted by DOGE, an organization tasked with identifying fraud and inefficiencies in government spending.

• Trump had previously stated that millions of centenarians receiving Social Security benefits is an issue of fraud or incompetence and suggested that removing these individuals from the records could enhance the system's efficacy.

• Musk humorously commented on the situation, suggesting the existence of “vampires” collecting benefits and criticized the lack of government action on previously reported issues about deceased individuals being recorded as alive.

• Leavitt mentioned that DOGE is looking into potential fraud but has not yet completed a full review of SSA records.

• Previous reports by the SSA’s Office of the Inspector General highlighted similar issues with outdated records and estimated that around 18. 9 million individuals, primarily born in 1920 or earlier, were not officially marked deceased.

• The SSA chose not to update this information due to costs exceeding $9 million. Payments stop automatically for anyone over 115 years old.

• A report indicated that from 2015 to 2022, out of $8. 6 trillion in benefits distributed, less than 1% was classified as improper payments, primarily overpayments to living recipients. Recovery efforts for payments made to deceased individuals have only begun.

Concerns over outdated records and potential fraudulent benefits remain significant, though not as widespread as some claims suggest.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/social-security-chief-says-millions-of-dead-people-on-record-not-necessarily-receiving-benefits-5813092