Trump, Musk False Social Security Claims

President Donald Trump and billionaire adviser Elon Musk have falsely claimed that tens of millions of dead people over 100 years old are receiving Social Security payments. Donald Trump stated at a press briefing that 'millions and millions of people over 100 years old' are receiving benefits, implying fraud. Elon Musk amplified these claims on his social media platform X, calling it a 'HUGE problem' and suggesting a Department of Government Efficiency investigation. These claims are largely debunked by facts from the United States — Social Security Administration and its inspector general. While improper payments have occurred, totaling $71.8 billion (less than 1% of total benefits paid from 2015-2022), most were overpayments to living people. The United States — United States Department of the Treasury has recovered over $31 million in improper federal payments to deceased individuals through a pilot program. The confusion partly stems from the United States — Social Security Administration's outdated COBOL software system, which can default incomplete birthdates to very old reference points, and a database issue where 18.9 million Social Security numbers of people born before 1920 are not marked as deceased, though almost none receive payments. Experts like Charles Blahous and Sita Nataraj Slavov from Georgetown University emphasize that Social Security's error rates are relatively low compared to other federal programs and that these claims distract from the real, more complex financial challenges facing Social Security.