Elon Musk has shone a spotlight on what might be one of the largest administrative nightmares within the U.S. government: the Social Security system. In a series of posts on X, Musk revealed staggering inefficiencies and potential fraud within the Social Security database:
"According to the Social Security database, these are the numbers of people in each age bucket with the death field set to FALSE! Maybe Twilight is real and there are a lot of vampires collecting Social Security," Musk posted, highlighting more than 20 million entries for individuals aged between 100 and 159, with their 'death' status incorrectly set to 'alive.'
“We’ve got people in there that are 150 years old,” Musk said on Feb. 11. “Now, do you know anyone who’s 150? I don’t, OK. They should be in the Guinness Book of World Records. … I think they’re probably dead, is my guess, or they should be very famous, one of the two.”
Musk’s chart shows 1,476,906 people who are 150 to 369 years old! The chart also shows that 20.8 million people aged 100 and older are collecting social security, while the 2020 US Census shows only 80,000 people who are aged 100 or older. The Pew Research Center found that less than 100,000 people were over 100, and none were older than 114.
"The logic flow diagram for the Social Security system looks INSANE. No one person actually knows how it works. The payment files that move between Social Security and Treasury have significant inconsistencies that are not reconciled. It’s wild."
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Musk also noted: "There are FAR more ‘eligible’ social security numbers than there are citizens in the USA. This might be the biggest fraud in history."
In comparing our U.S. Census records, an estimated 25% more individuals are registered with Social Security than there are actual U.S. citizens, highlighting a significant discrepancy in the system. The last Census INCLUDED non-citizens, so this number is expected to be much higher.
These revelations paint a picture of a system out of control, where millions of dollars could be going to non-existent or long-deceased individuals!
The discrepancies aren't just in age but in actual payments. According to a July 2024 Social Security Administration’s Inspector General report, “Between fiscal years 2015 and 2022, the SSA sent almost $71.8 billion in improper payments.”
This includes payments made after beneficiaries' deaths, with one report from November 2021 noting $298 million in payments after death to some 24,000 beneficiaries, although $84 million was returned.
The scale of these inefficiencies is colossal, given that Social Security disburses over $1 trillion annually. The attitude towards a “minor percentage of errors” translates to billions lost! As a percentage of all payments, improper payments reportedly account for 0.84% of the total, which has been intentionally overlooked and considered “better than any private insurance company in the nation.”
These issues are rooted in outdated technology, insufficient staffing, and a lack of talent—until now. Enter D.O.G.E., Musk's initiative aimed at diagnosing and rectifying these inefficiencies, with the potential to implement robust, secure, and efficient systems.
Failing to eliminate Social Security fraud jeopardizes our elderly and disabled community, reliant on Medicare and Medicaid. It leads to less funding for essential healthcare, potentially increasing costs and reducing benefits or access to necessary treatments. This misdirection of resources also diverts attention from service improvement, compromising care quality and exposing beneficiaries to risks like identity theft, ultimately threatening their health and financial security.
D.O.G.E.'s intervention could save billions and restore confidence in a system critical to millions of Americans, ensuring that Social Security remains solvent and secure for future generations. Meanwhile, those exploiting the current system should be on notice, as this new initiative promises to bring much-needed accountability and transparency.
