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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Elon
I assume the percent is a pure guess otherwise they would need to know who they are sending these payments to and could turn it to 0%. How did they arrive at that number?
Andrea G.
This is interesting information and from a percentage perspective sounds small, and from a number perspective sounds like a lot. When my father died last year, the Cremation Society of Minnesota reported the death and the Social Security benefit payments stopped immediately, which was fine. Now the SSA-1099 has not been issued for me, as the personal representative of the estate, and I have spent hours on the phone trying to get through to request one so I can file the final tax return. There is no way to request this online for a deceased person. There is no way to schedule an appointment at my local SS office without calling the same exact number. There is no way to walk into a local SS office any longer. As maddening and disruptive this is for me, I cannot imagine the absolute horror of trying to work with the social security administration for any reason at all. Could anyone help me please?
Dave L.
Are you able to estimate based on bank statements, etc? I’d use that to file. Then order a wage and income transcript from IRS. The information may not appear now (not usually available until July). If not, wait until late summer and order it again. If your estimate was off, amend the return.
Kate L.
So, what you are saying in this statement is that deaths have been erroneously reported. Deaths reported of people who are not dead, right? That is very different than claiming that someone dead is still receiving benefits. Which is it? or, Is a combo of both types of errors and the number is very small?
Ivy
My husband is on of that very small percent they Claim never happens, that said he was deceased. Two years later and I am still dealing with the ssa/ ssi’s screw up and need paperwork to send to the IRS to file taxes…. its stressful.
Pat K.
1% of 3 million is 30,000 that is a lot.
C.R.
It’s not 1% of 3 million, it is “1/3 of one percent” of 3 million.
My question is; how long till that 1/3 of 1% is caught was it just a few payments, I need more info. I’m sorry, but I can’t believe Elon when he says there is “massive” fraud, when I see actual numbers and clarity, then I’ll believe it, right now I see no proof that it is massive.
Michael U.
my years of Social Security payments have been superbly by the administrations and the few times I have called or e mailed the response was immediate and accurate. The programs are
a blessing and all receivers shpod fee; proud and
blessed for such a well managed and funded program. Proud to be an American
Jenny
Nice to hear. But how do you feel now that Elon wants to take it all away. Do feel like a proud American. That America is allowing non-American to dismantle and take away what you have paid into all your working years.
Sue
Jenny, nobody is taking your social security. Please educate yourself on what is going on. Stop listening to the media & venture out on your own. Everyone wants to stop the fraud until it started happening. Stop the fraud!
Tam
Social security office has told you, President Trump has told you, not sure how many have to tell you you are not losing social security benefits, unless you are an illegal immigrant. I would worry if you are getting social security for illegal reasons.
Nilsa
There’s certaintly a problem.
We as americans have paid into this since the
beginning of our working lives till past 60s.
Therefore you have spent the money or you have wasted all the money that automatically
and mandtory deducted from our paychecks. Not only did we pay into retirement taxes but also did the employers. Something is wrong. If I was you-I would try and correct it before others will come in from us and who knows from you..
Long
its not far fetch to require people above 90, to do a quick verification of some form once a year to confirm their well being. you should be able to cross check with hospital/insurance record to see if that person have had any activity within a year, and if not to confirm if they are alive. no person above 90, should go a year without interacting in some way with healthcare/government unless they are dead. what are all the expense being used by social security office if they cant even perform such basic verification once a year? how much money is being lost?
Kate M.
You realize, they DO have to interact with SSA? Do you even receive benefits from them? I have to send or drop off my check stubs to them every single month. I get phone calls from them every 6 months to a year.
AyyJude
How is it that so many individuals over 110 years old are still recognized as alive? Among those over 110, how many are still receiving benefits or checks? Additionally, if a Social Security Number isn’t flagged as deceased, it raises concerns about the potential for it to be misused for malicious purposes.
steve c.
The SS should require anyone over a 95 and older for verification they are alive, if they are receiving funds. However, Trump and the idiot Musks reduced the number of employees at SS to be able to maintain verification and provide adequate service to the citizens.
Sil
You’re an idiot!! if it wasn’t for Trump and must nobody would even know there was abuse you moron!
Cathy L.
Silver, that is very rude of you. Don’t call people names because you don’t like their reply. Mom was almost 97 when she died. Both the funeral home and myself reported her death. Those people are not receiving checks. They are still on the active file because of incomplete information.
Ric
Silver … what do you mean no one would know. Seems like we have checks and balances in place. And with it being such a small percentage slipping through, I would t call brining light to a policy and procedure that is working nothing but just that. It’s working and it’s always a work in progress as nothing is 100%. When addressing a response, slashing out with calling people names is only showing a level of maturity that has t been reached . Do some research and understanding over name calling. Might work in your best interest!
OGVonBraun
The people are not effective, this is all data they are letting AI siphon through. Half of the federal workforce needs to retire or go somewhere else. The singularity approaches.
Tam
Wrong! There were already people in place to do these audits, they still have their jobs and Musk hired a team of ten to help them audit. You know you all can do your research.
Tom
Do we really know if they were reported as being alive?? I haven’t seen any proof of that as of yet. A lot of talk about it, but with the checks and balances, I highly doubt anyone 110 were still receiving any checks.
Carolyn
There are people out there that are 110, not many, but they do exist.