Recent claims by President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk have raised alarms about the possibility of millions of deceased individuals, some over 100 years old, receiving Social Security benefits.
However, an investigation into the available data reveals that these claims are inaccurate. This article clarifies the facts surrounding Social Security payments to the elderly and deceased, providing insights into the true situation.
The Claim: Social Security Payments to the Dead
Over the weekend, Elon Musk shared a chart on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), which suggested that over 20 million individuals aged 100 and older were included in the Social Security database. Musk speculated that this could be indicative of “the biggest fraud in history,” joking about “vampires” collecting Social Security.
President Trump echoed these claims in a Florida press briefing, stating that “millions and millions of people over 100 years old” were receiving benefits. These statements quickly gained traction, but are they true?
The Truth Behind Social Security Payments
How Many People Over 100 Are Actually Receiving Benefits?
Recent data from the Social Security Administration (SSA) indicates that the numbers shared by Musk and Trump are grossly exaggerated. In December 2024, approximately 52 million Americans received Social Security retirement benefits.
Out of this, only around 90,000 individuals aged 99 or older were receiving payments—representing less than 0.2% of all beneficiaries.
In comparison, there are roughly 101,000 centenarians living in the United States as of 2024. Therefore, Social Security payments to individuals over 100 years old do not reach the millions as suggested.
Clarification from the Social Security Administration
Lee Dudek, the Acting Social Security Commissioner, clarified the situation by explaining that the records showing a large number of individuals aged 100 or older are from the Numident database.
This system contains data on people with Social Security numbers, but it doesn’t necessarily mean those individuals are receiving benefits. The numbers reflect people who don’t have a recorded death date in the database.
A 2023 audit of the SSA revealed nearly 19 million records of individuals aged 100 or older with no death date listed. However, the audit confirmed that nearly none of these people were receiving Social Security payments.
Why Do These Records Exist?
The issue stems from an outdated database that has not been updated because the cost of fixing it is prohibitively high—ranging from $5.5 to $9.7 million. Nevertheless, the SSA has other safeguards in place to prevent deceased individuals from receiving benefits.
Since 2015, payments to people over 115 years old have been automatically stopped, ensuring no benefits are paid to individuals who are obviously deceased.
How Often Does Social Security Pay After Death?
Mistakes in payments after death do occur, but they are far less common than suggested. An audit by the SSA’s inspector general in 2021 revealed that $298 million in payments were mistakenly issued to about 24,000 deceased beneficiaries who remained in “suspended payment status” after death.
However, most of this error was due to policy lapses and technician mistakes, not fraud.
Of the $298 million, about $84 million was recovered, but roughly $214 million remained uncollected at the time of the audit.
What Is Being Done to Prevent Mistakes?
The SSA has acknowledged the problem and has been working to improve its processes to prevent further errors.
The agency is in the process of implementing corrective actions to address the issue of suspended payments and improve death data management.
Social Security Fraud: A Minor Concern
Social Security fraud, while an issue, is relatively rare. According to experts, improper payments make up a small portion of Social Security’s total outlays, and fraud is not the primary concern.
Alex Nowrasteh, vice president of economic policy at the Cato Institute, emphasized that while problems with Social Security exist, they are largely administrative, not fraudulent.
A 2024 SSA inspector general report noted that between 2015 and 2022, Social Security sent $71.8 billion in improper payments, but this only accounted for 0.84% of the total $8.6 trillion distributed during that time period.
Comparison with Other Programs
It’s worth noting that the Social Security system has a relatively low error rate compared to other federal programs. For instance, Medicaid had an improper payment rate of over 5% in 2024, much higher than Social Security’s sub-1% error rate.
Charles Blahous, a senior research strategist at George Mason University’s Mercatus Center, noted that Social Security’s error rate places it near the bottom of government programs in terms of mistakes.
How Big Is the Social Security Fraud Issue?
Although errors in payment do happen, fraud itself is not a significant issue within the Social Security system. The fraud-related problems highlighted by Musk and Trump do not reflect the reality of the program.
Experts agree that the actual challenges with Social Security are related to administrative inefficiencies, not widespread fraud.
Social Security Improper Payments Breakdown
| Year | Total Improper Payments | Recovery Rate | Uncollected Payments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 – 2022 | $71.8 Billion | 83% | $23 Billion |
While high-profile figures like Elon Musk and Donald Trump have propagated exaggerated claims about Social Security payments going to deceased individuals over 100 years old, the available data shows otherwise.
Only a small number of individuals aged 99 or older are actually receiving Social Security benefits, and the system has measures in place to ensure deceased individuals do not receive payments.
The issue of improper payments is largely due to administrative errors and not fraudulent activity. Social Security remains one of the most reliable federal programs, with fraud accounting for only a fraction of its challenges.
FAQs
How many people over 100 years old receive Social Security benefits?
Approximately 90,000 individuals aged 99 or older received Social Security retirement benefits in December 2024.
What is the “Numident” database?
The Numident is a Social Security database that lists individuals with Social Security numbers but does not always reflect if they are alive or dead.
Why hasn’t the Social Security database been updated?
Updating the database would cost between $5.5 to $9.7 million, which has prevented timely updates.