WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump and tech mogul Elon Musk have stirred controversies by alleging potential misuse of Social Security benefits by deceased individuals, without credible data to support their claims. In recent statements, both figures implied that millions of deceased Americans might still be listed as beneficiaries, citing purported anomalies in the Social Security system.
Last week, during a press event at the White House, Musk claimed to have uncovered what he described as “crazy things,” including profiles of individuals supposedly aged 150 years within the system. He later amplified these assertions on social media, sharing screenshots he claimed demonstrated significant errors in recording beneficiaries’ statuses.
Echoing Musk, Trump conveyed his concerns at a press conference in Mar-a-Lago, questioning the legitimacy of these Social Security payments and insinuating a widespread issue of fraud within the system.
However, experts in Social Security policy have contested their accounts, stating that both Trump and Musk misinterpret the data. These experts clarified that while discrepancies occur, they are neither pervasive nor indicative of the claims proposed by Trump and Musk.
According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), the United States has 67 million beneficiaries, with only a fraction – approximately 0.1% – aged over 100 years. Kathleen Romig, Director of Social Security and Disability Policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, described the allegations of widespread fraud as “ridiculous” and unsupported by the data, emphasizing the improbability of such a high number of deceased individuals receiving payments.
Experts pointed out that the SSA maintains numerous databases to manage records, including one that tracks monthly payments to beneficiaries and another, known as Numident, containing records of all individuals ever assigned a Social Security number. Some of these records date back to the era before the establishment of digital record-keeping and may not have up-to-date death information, which could be the source of misconstrued data.
Justin Wolfers, a public policy and economics professor at the University of Michigan, criticized the way Musk has presented the data, suggesting a possible misrepresentation or misunderstanding of the figures involved.
The SSA’s decision not to update certain outdated records was informed by cost-benefit analyses, as highlighted in a 2023 inspector general’s report. The report noted the prohibitive expense of over $9 million to rectify these records, compared to the limited benefit such an update would provide in terms of improving the agency’s operations.
Furthermore, the Social Security Administration has implemented several checks to prevent improper payments to deceased individuals, including ceasing payments automatically at the age of 115 and verifying the activity of older beneficiaries through Medicare usage.
This incident isn’t the first instance of Musk relaying questionable claims. Previously, he had to retract a statement regarding U.S. foreign aid, admitting the misinformation and acknowledging the possibility of mistakes in his declarations.
Both Trump and Musk’s recent statements have drawn significant attention to their public pronouncements and the accuracy thereof, underscoring the impact of their comments on public discourse and policy discussions. Their foray into the intricacies of Social Security benefits has not only sparked debate but also prompted scrutiny regarding the dissemination of factual information by public figures.