There have been some claims recently by notable figures like President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, suggesting that millions of people over 100 years old are receiving Social Security benefits. This has sparked confusion and concern, but the reality is quite different. Publicly available data shows that the number of people over 100 receiving these benefits is much lower than what’s been reported. Let’s dive deeper into the facts behind Social Security benefits for those 100 and older, what’s going wrong with some of the numbers, and why fraud isn’t the main issue here.
How Many People Over 100 Receive Social Security Benefits?
It’s important to clear up the rumors surrounding Social Security payments. According to the latest data from the Social Security Administration (SSA), only about 90,000 people aged 99 or older received Social Security retirement benefits in December 2024. This number is far from the millions that some have claimed, including President Trump and Elon Musk.
The Social Security Administration records show that around 52 million Americans received retirement benefits in December 2024. However, the number of individuals aged 99 or older receiving payments is only a tiny fraction of that, making up less than 0.2% of all the payments. This is far from the “millions” of people over 100 that Trump and Musk mentioned in their statements.
Misleading Claims and the Social Security “Numident” Database
The confusion seems to stem from a misunderstanding of the Social Security Administration’s “Numident” database, which contains a list of Social Security numbers for people, including those over 100. This database has over 19 million entries of people aged 100 or older who are listed without a death date. However, the inspector general’s report from 2023 clarified that almost none of these individuals are actually receiving Social Security benefits.
The issue arises because the database is outdated, and updating it would be costly for the SSA. As of now, fixing the errors would cost anywhere between $5.5 to $9.7 million. This situation has led to the false claims, but it doesn’t mean that millions of people over 100 are getting Social Security checks, as some have suggested.
Social Security Payments After Death: Is It a Major Issue?
While the error in the database may cause confusion, it’s important to understand that fraud is not a significant problem within Social Security. Mistakenly paying people after they die does happen occasionally, but not as often as some might believe. A 2021 audit revealed that around $298 million in payments were issued after the death of about 24,000 beneficiaries. However, it’s important to note that the Social Security Administration quickly recovered a significant portion of these payments, amounting to $84 million.
The root of this issue lies in administrative errors, not widespread fraud. Technicians and policies within the SSA are responsible for maintaining records, and errors in these areas sometimes cause payments to continue after a person’s death. These are mostly caused by oversights in record-keeping and policy enforcement, not intentional fraud.
How Big of a Problem Is Social Security Fraud?
Experts agree that Social Security fraud is relatively rare, and most problems come from administrative mistakes rather than criminal behavior. Alex Nowrasteh, the vice president of economic and social policy studies at the Cato Institute, pointed out that while Social Security fraud exists, it is a small issue within the program. The problems are more about policy errors and outdated systems than fraud itself.
Over the years, the Social Security Administration has been working on improving its processes. A report from July 2024 showed that Social Security made improper payments of about $71.8 billion between 2015 and 2022. However, the error rate in Social Security is very low compared to other government programs. For instance, the improper payment rate for Medicaid in 2024 was over 5%, while Social Security’s error rate was much lower, at only 0.84%.
What Is Being Done to Fix These Problems?
The Social Security Administration is aware of these issues and has been working to fix them. After the 2021 audit, the SSA began implementing changes to ensure that payments are stopped when someone dies. These improvements are part of an ongoing process to reduce errors and prevent overpayments.
The agency also took steps in 2023 to recover millions in incorrect payments, including the $31 million that went to deceased individuals across various federal programs, not just Social Security. While these problems do exist, the focus should be on addressing them effectively without exaggerating the scale of fraud.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the idea that millions of people over 100 are receiving Social Security benefits is not accurate. While there are some administrative issues, such as incorrect payments made after people have died, these are not the result of widespread fraud. The Social Security Administration is aware of these issues and has been taking steps to correct them. It is crucial to focus on factual information and avoid spreading misconceptions that could mislead the public.