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Social Security Addressing Aged Records

March 5, 2025 • By

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Last Updated: March 5, 2025

Social Security Administration LogoThe Social Security Administration (SSA) today shared its significant progress in identifying and correcting beneficiary records of people 100 years old or older. The data reported in the media represent people who do not have a date of death associated with their record. While these people may not be receiving benefits, it is important for the agency to maintain accurate and complete records.

“I thank President Trump for highlighting these inconsistencies during his speech last night to a joint session of Congress,” said Lee Dudek, Acting Commissioner of Social Security. “We are steadfast in our commitment to root out fraud, waste, and abuse in our programs, and actively correcting the inconsistencies with missing dates of death.”

The agency follows long established program integrity initiatives that identify people who have a higher likelihood of being deceased due to their age or incomplete death reports. For example, SSA receives data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services of individuals who have not used Medicare Part A or Part B for three or more years. SSA uses the data as an indicator to select and prioritize cases of individuals age 90 or older, who are currently in pay status and living in the United States, to determine continued eligibility for Social Security benefits. The agency attempts to conduct an interview with these individuals to verify they are still alive. If the agency identifies someone is deceased, it immediately stops payment and reports any suspicions of fraud to SSA’s Office of the Inspector General.

 

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  1. DAI

    Lee Dudek is doing a great job.

    Reply
    • Justina

      You might want to look into the news coming out today…if you can look at anything besides Fox News, that is.

      Reply
  2. Draya

    Thank you for the reminder. Only people with no experience in maintaining databases would believe the obvious lies propagated by our current administration. Anyone so concerned with 200+ year old individuals could just look into them and see that those records were incorrect instead of malicious.

    Reply
  3. Joe A.

    These are processes largely in place at SSA and reaffirm that it is not rife with fraud and waste. There is no factual basis to disrupt or upend the stable and essential systems at Social Security. There is a compelling budget reason (that is not part of the Federal budget) to eliminate the cap on taxable wages to make this program solvent for decades.

    Reply
    • Michael

      There IS fraud and abuse in the SS system, and the database systems are old. In the early 2000’s there was parts of the government on the DOS system yet. Last year I had to get an ID number to prove it was me when I filed my taxes as my number had been flagged. Possible duplicate, anyone can make up those numbers and use them. So it’s not only the years, it’s duplicate numbers, addresses, etc. Obviously this has this been going on for so long without being corrected or the possible avenues of fraud closed, I welcome these audits and corrections to protect our money. Only citizens should have a social security number and only those who have legally contributed should receive SS benefits.

      Reply
  4. Bill T.

    All praise to the Dear Leader [sarcasm] … kiss ass

    Reply
  5. Mardie G.

    Even as Elon and President Trump were reporting all this information about beneficiary’s of SS, I knew that it couldn’t be true. What you say in your message makes sense. I hope you have enough personnel to keep up with the monitoring of people 90 years and older. I know there is graft and corruption by some families, who continue to receive SS payments of their dead elders, but that is when they stuff them in a freezer and don’t report their death..I hope Elon and Trump will hire more Social Security employees and their job titles can be INSPECTORS OF FREEZERS!

    Reply
  6. GREGORY M.

    Your organization needs to get it together.
    You know there is a lot of fraud involved.
    Why does it take DOGE to expose it ?????????
    You should have been doing your jobs all along.
    You should be ashamed of yourselves.
    NO accountability for your responsibility .
    You just sit there and collect a paycheck.!!!!!!

    Reply
  7. AMERICAN C.

    RESIST the fascist overthrow of democracy and theft of citizen data, taxpayers’ money, voting rights, the meager pitiful safety net, the dehumanization of people and the raiding of the American Treasury. Expose Agent Krasnov. Resist autocracy.

    FIGHT FASCISM!

    Reply
  8. Var

    I am hopeful that SSA can/will/continue be efficient and keep our SSA offices open. We need your services and talking to a human being in an office when we need help!

    Reply
  9. Ronald C.

    I appreciate the SS admin. Including those employees I have interacted with . Thank you

    Reply
  10. Maria

    Thank you, to keep me inform of any new or changes.

    Reply

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