In his Saturday speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference, Donald Trump expressed concerns over possible Social Security fraud. He specifically questioned the accuracy of age information in the system. Trump called the Social Security Database “a scam”, citing what he considered to be inflated numbers of people listed as being over 100 years.
What are the concerns?
Trump’s commitment not to cut Social Security benefits has some people skeptical. This is especially true with Elon Musk involved in his Department of Government Efficiency task force. While this task force is aimed at tackling issues such as government fraud and waste, many fear that Social Security could be cut.
Official reports show that Social Security fraud is relatively uncommon. In July 2024 the Social Security Administration Inspector General (SSA) reported that less than 1% payments were fraudulant, with most of them going to individuals who are still alive. Musk and Trump’s claims about the scale of this issue are overstated. These fears could lead to substantial cuts in the Social Security Program. It is crucial to address concerns over Social Security fraud in order to ensure the stability and long-term viability of the program, which provides vital support for millions of Americans.
Social Security Fraud: Widespread Claim
Trump and Musk both claimed, in the last few weeks, that millions of seniors over 100 are still receiving Social Security. Musk called the alleged problem a “HUGE one.”
Trump, during remarks made at CPAC Maryland in Maryland, asked if these people were receiving payments and if they could be being misappropriated. Trump cited 10-year age groups, saying that millions of individuals were included in each category. He even pointed to an individual who was allegedly listed as being 360 years old.
Musk had shared a screenshot from the Age-Range Database earlier this month. However, Trump’s numbers, which are in the tens and millions, were significantly higher.
Trump said that the Social Security database, which includes benefits for disabled and senior citizens, was a scam. He also stated, “Under our administration, we will not tolerate Social Security fraud.” No one will cheat our senior citizens, and anyone who does so will face prosecution. [U.S. Attorney General] Pam Bondi and Others”
According to data on the SSA site, last updated December 2024 there are 89.106 “retired workers beneficiaries” who have reached the age of 100 and still receive Social Security benefits. The U.S. Census Bureau also estimates that there are approximately 80,000 centenarians in the U.S.
An audit of the Social Security database in 2023 revealed 18,9 million records for individuals aged 100 and older. The majority (18.4 million) had not received any benefits for more than 50 years. They were therefore likely to be deceased. Just 44,000 people were receiving checks each month, and only 13 had an age of 112 years or more.
Michelle King, the SSA’s acting commissioner, resigned recently following requests by the DOGE taskforce for access to Social Security beneficiary information. The agency had employed King for over 30 years.
Reactions To The Claims
Elon Musk published a screenshot on X on the 16th of February, formerly Twitter. It was a database that shows social security age. Maybe Twilight is true and there are many vampires who collect Social Security.
In a separate X post, Musk added: “Having tens of millions of people marked in Social Security as ‘ALIVE’ when they are definitely dead is a HUGE problem. Obviously. These people were alive long before America was a nation. Consider that for just a minute.”
Social Security and the Future of Social Security
According to projections by the Social Security Board of Trustees (SSB), the Social Security program trust fund is projected to be insolvent as early as 2035. Some experts warned recent policy changes may accelerate Social Security’s insolvency.
Leland dudek, the acting director at the SSA appointed by Trump in recent days. Dudek will hold the position until Frank Bisignano is confirmed by the Senate as Trump’s full-time nominee. He is the CEO and President of Fiserv.