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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Carl D.
What’s the percentage and count of social security being sent to those, that should not be receiving benefits? Death not reported, Identity Theft, and Fraud.
How many people are receiving benefits that have never paid into Social Security? Why would SSI make payments to someone that has not paid for this insurance benefit?
Cecil W.
Good Job
Thanks
Patricia V.
The one-time $255 SSA survivor benefit is worthless, never has changed, and not all applicants are eligible to receive it. It does not even cover rent or food for one month, so please stop this program to save your Treasury dollars to use elsewhere. Thanks.
Lori N.
First – the corruption is real, I know someone that has been collecting on dead relatives-
Secondly- it took my husband 7 months to receive a beneficiary death benefit and 4 refilings that were filled out with a social security representative at our local office but received letters saying the info was wrong, finally it took a supervisor to give him the correct help
Thirdly-thank God for Elon Musk
John S.
you are closing the only “local” SSA office near me. Not helpful.
Darryl W.
In the third paragraph, second line, a word is misspelled.
The word is DEVASTATING and it is spelled incorrectly.
The article has it spelled as DEVASTING.
I hope someone corrects this error soon.
Gadfly
So which is it? Are your records accurate or is DOGE finding 150 year olds who are collecting social security.? We see the mixed messages.
Annie C.
Thank you for clarifying this misinformation that was stated in an address from the President. My father passed last July 2024, and the funeral home, to my surprise, did a lot of the reporting of deaths to SSA and OPM, etc. It appeared as the staff at SSA was not effectively doing their job. I couldn’t imagine paying folks at the age of 106-350 SS benefits. Great Job, keep up the good work. The stories being told.
Brenda E.
Why does DOGE continue to say dead people are receiving SS ?checks
Barbie L.
That is interesting because we have had patient that we have been trying to get the correct date of death corrected an social security will not assist in this matter…it is very frustrating.
Brenda E.
Did you provide death certificate? Maybe furneral home needs to get invovled.