Conversely, failures to update death records can lead to improper benefit disbursements. A 2022 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that the SSA had paid over $1 billion to deceased individuals over the past decade. In 2023, a Department of the Treasury pilot programme aimed at recovering erroneous federal payments retrieved more than $31 million in funds that had been mistakenly sent to the dead.
Speaking to The New York Times, a former SSA inspector general, Patrick O'Carroll, said such errors create opportunities for fraud. "Once a deceased individual remains 'alive' in the system, it opens the door for bad actors to continue collecting benefits fraudulently," he said. "This can range from identity theft to organised criminal schemes."
A Political Firestorm
Musk's revelations have quickly become a political flashpoint. While some have praised his scrutiny of the federal bureaucracy, others have accused him of sensationalising the issue.
Ken Paxton, the attorney general of Texas, defended Musk's initiative, arguing that Washington has long failed to hold agencies accountable. "Government incompetence has been costing taxpayers for decades," Paxton said. "If someone like Musk wants to take a closer look, let him."
However, privacy advocates have expressed concerns over how Musk and DOGE obtained the Social Security records. "We need transparency on how this data was accessed and whether privacy laws were followed," said Jake Sullivan, a cybersecurity policy analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
SSA Yet to Respond
As of Monday, the SSA has not publicly commented on Musk's claims. Individuals who believe they have been mistakenly marked as deceased are advised to contact their local SSA office or visit ssa.gov to correct their records.
With Musk continuing to spotlight inefficiencies within government agencies, his latest findings are likely to fuel further debate over accountability, technology, and the future of federal oversight.