Social Security Provides Update about its Death Record
Reading Time: 1 MinuteLast Updated: March 26, 2025
We announced yesterday that more than three million deaths are reported to the Social Security Administration each year and explained that our records are highly accurate. Of these millions of death reports received each year, less than one-third of 1 percent are erroneously reported deaths that need to be corrected.
Deaths are reported to Social Security primarily from the States, but also from other sources, including family members, funeral homes, Federal agencies, and financial institutions. In a 2008 audit report, the Inspector General noted that “SSA receives most death reports from funeral homes or friends/relatives of the deceased. SSA considers such first party death reports to be verified and immediately posts them to the Death Master File.”
Instances when a person is erroneously reported as deceased to Social Security can be devasting to the individual, spouse, and dependent children. Benefits are stopped in the short term which can cause financial hardship until fixed and benefits restored, and the process to prove an erroneous death will always seem too long and challenging.
If a person suspects that they have been incorrectly listed as deceased on their Social Security record, they should contact their local Social Security office as soon as possible. They should be prepared to bring at least one piece of current (not expired) original form of identification. Social Security takes immediate action to correct its records and the agency can provide a letter that the error has been corrected that can be shared with other organizations, agencies, and employers.
For additional information, please visit What to do when someone dies.
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Roy K.
Are procedures in place to identify unreported deaths, where benefit checks are still being distributed? If so, are excess payments clawed back from the family of the deceased? Thanks.
Leftist a.
& the ones on the books very old age & receiving $$$$ sound like SCAMMERS!
Marcia T.
Aware of a church member’s brother who was declared as dead by accident 3 years ago and the local office has not helped or corrected the situation. What other options does this person have. Would like to help point them in the right direction.
Lisa E.
Contact your legislator. Either House Representative or Senator. They help with issues with Federal Agencies.
Noway
Thanks but what would be most helpful is to have certified auditors and forensic accountants conduct an audit and for ssa.gov to stop sending misinformation as it simply causes undue stress
I would like to know when and who will do an audit and publish findings from a reputable qualified accountant
Thank you
Diane
Please tell Elon Musk. He keeps spreading lies about our Social Security.
Sandra B.
My SNAP benefits were recently reduced from $250 to $23. Why? Nothing else has changed.
C.B.
Hi, Sandra. Thanks for reading our blog. The Social Security Administration does not administer food stamps. Please contact your local Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) office. Or you can call the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s SNAP information line at 1-800-221-5689. We hope this helps.
David S.
Is 2008 the last time you were audited?
Ann G.
Thank you for clarifying this important information. It’s comforting to hear this from the source rather than the inaccurate statements coming from the current government.
Martha H.
How long will it take before I get an answer from death benefits
Russell L.
with cuts to the staffing of the social security offices, a process needs to be established to verify deaths before cutting off an individuals income as noted it is devastating but the organization making a mistake should to impose the burden on the recipient of the income.
Fran S.
How can I find out if someone died in Aruba?
Chris K.
Go there and see