Musk Misleads: Inside the DOGE’s latest attempt to harm social welfare programs.

President Trump grins as Elon Musk speaks to the press from the Oval Office inside the White House on February 11th, 2025. Source: Alex Brandon

Social Security has become a focal point as the Department of Government Efficiency targets government spending. As Elon Musk gains increased access to personal records and government institutions, the White House finds new faults in our country's institutions. Recently, Elon Musk claimed that millions of deceased individuals were receiving Social Security benefits. In a misleading post on X, Elon Musk shared a chart showing 14 million individuals over the age of 120 with a “death field set to FALSE.” This indicates that these individuals were not officially listed as deceased. However, the Social Security Administration (SSA) already has procedures to terminate payments to individuals over 115. Better safeguards could be placed for fraud prevention, but Elon Musk’s claims have created unwarranted distrust with no supporting evidence. 

In 1937, the Social Security Administration (SSA) began collecting taxes to supplement income after Americans retired. Today, Social Security does not solely focus on retirement. It utilizes tax collections to benefit those with a qualifying disability, survivors of deceased individuals, retired workers, and dependent spouses/children. As of 2024, approximately 68 million Americans receive Social Security benefits. 

According to the Census Bureau, the United States has approximately 86,000 residents over 100. In comparison, the SSA’s Numident record lists around 18.9 million individuals born before 1920 with no recorded death. However, the Numident is not used to distribute benefits. Rather, it is an online database containing basic information for every Social Security number ever issued. Data from 2024 shows only about 89,000 individuals over the age of 90 received benefits, a stark contrast to claims of “tens of millions” thought to be taking advantage of the system. 

While the outdated records found in the Numident records can increase the risk of fraud, they do not prove that deceased individuals are receiving payments. However, the lack of updated records is troubling for Americans looking to stay protected against fraud and ensure their tax money is not misallocated. The issue here is that when there is no death record in the Numidert system, there is also no death record in the Death Master File (DMF). The DMF is often used as a resource to identify and prevent fraud when someone tries to access social security benefits. Therefore, the lack of records in the Numdident and DMF complicates fraud prevention efforts but does not equate to false payouts.

A 2023 report from the Inspector General (IG) shows procedures are in place to protect Americans from fraud. From 2016 to 2020, $8.5 billion in earnings were flagged, using around 139,000 Social Security numbers belonging to individuals over 100. These earnings were moved to an “earnings suspense file” when the personal identification information provided did not match the administration's records. Instances such as this show an attempt to protect Americans and their money. However, the IG report shows the SSA has records of 2.5 million deaths that are not in the numident system. A recommendation in the report suggests combining government data across various agencies to lower the risk of fraud and ease Americans' minds.

One solution is to use state data to implement the information into the Numident record and use early census data to confirm the numerical accuracy of age groups and payment information. While this seems worthwhile, the SSA feels the cost of implementing such procedures is far greater than the benefits. This is confirmed by a 2024 report released from the IG’s office. Data shows that from 2015 to 2022, SSA paid out $8.6 trillion in benefits, of which  $71.8 billion was misallocated. While this dollar amount may seem extremely large, it only accounts for 0.84% of SSA spending. 

Rather than amplifying fears and propaganda against government welfare, the DOGE could direct their efforts toward addressing broader fiscal changes, such as comprehensive and timely budgets. In the past 40 years, Congress has only completed appropriations before the start of the fiscal year four times.  

Through misleading charts and false claims, Elon Musk has fueled distrust among the American public. While the SSA could implement additional measurements to further security, there is no evidence to show the deceased are getting payments. Social Security fraud is a real threat that should be monitored with proper precautions, but safeguards are in place to protect taxpayers. Data shows the number of individuals getting benefits per age group aligns with census data.  

Finally, I urge you all to think critically and research thoroughly. Social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and even the news are flooded with information. However, not everything you see is true or tells a full story. As we have seen here, misinformation can be persuasive, so please take the time to research!