Trump and Musk Falsely Claim “Millions” of Dead People Receive Social Security Benefits
The Trump administration is pushing a false narrative that tens of millions of deceased individuals—some allegedly over 200 or even 300 years old—are still receiving Social Security benefits. President Donald Trump and his billionaire adviser Elon Musk have both made exaggerated claims about improper payments, but official government data contradicts their statements.
Trump and Musk’s Misleading Claims
At a press briefing in Florida, Trump stated:
“We have millions and millions of people over 100 years old receiving Social Security… They’re obviously fraudulent or incompetent.”
Musk echoed the claim on his social media platform X, writing:
“Maybe Twilight is real and there are a lot of vampires collecting Social Security.”
However, official reports show these claims are vastly overstated.
The Real Data on Social Security Fraud
According to a July 2024 report from the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) Inspector General, the agency paid out $8.6 trillion in benefits between 2015 and 2022, with less than 1% ($71.8 billion) being improper payments. Most of these were overpayments to living individuals, not deceased recipients.
Additionally, a U.S. Treasury pilot program that recovered $31 million in improper payments in early 2024 found that improper payments to deceased individuals were a tiny fraction of total disbursements.
Why the Confusion? Outdated Systems and Data Gaps
Some of the misinterpretation comes from Social Security’s legacy COBOL-based software, which defaults missing birthdates to the 1800s or early 1900s. This has resulted in 18.9 million Social Security numbers for individuals born in 1920 or earlier not being marked as deceased—but that doesn’t mean they’re receiving benefits.
SSA reports confirm that “almost none” of these individuals currently collect payments, and as of 2015, Social Security automatically halts payments to anyone over 115 years old.
Experts Warn of Misinformation
Chuck Blahous, a senior research strategist at George Mason University, acknowledged that eliminating fraud is important, but said Social Security’s error rate is far lower than that of other federal programs like Medicaid.
Professor Sita Nataraj Slavov, also from George Mason University, cautioned that Musk and Trump’s misleading claims may make Americans believe Social Security’s financial issues can be easily solved. She emphasized that real reform would require tax increases or benefit adjustments—not just fixing fraudulent payments.
White House Response
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt defended the administration’s stance, citing the SSA’s Inspector General report and stating that efforts to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse remain a top priority.
Despite these reassurances, experts say the administration’s claims are exaggerations, potentially misleading Americans about the true challenges facing Social Security.
