Elon Musk says millions in Social Security database are between ages of 100 and 159

[Conservative Perspective]

Elon Musk says millions in Social Security database are between ages of 100 and 159

Elon Musk indicated that a Social Security database lists millions of centenarians "with the death field set to FALSE."

Source: Elon Musk says millions in Social Security database are between ages of 100 and 159

[Shen Li]

Elon Musk says millions in Social Security database are between ages of 100 and 159

Elon Musk indicated that a Social Security database lists millions of centenarians "with the death field set to FALSE."

Source: Elon Musk says millions in Social Security database are between ages of 100 and 159

I read that in my part of the world.

[Prof Emeritus at Fawk U]

Looks like government needs an enema.

[Thiel]

Elon Musk is not saying they are collecting SS benefits.

Nearly 52 million Americans received retired worker benefits in Dec. 2024, according to data from the Social Security Administration.

About 90,000 of those payments, less than 0.2%, went to people aged 99 or older.

That's far below the millions Trump and Musk warned about. It's also lower than the number of centenarians living in the U.S., estimated at 101,000 in 2024.

In other words, Social Security is not sending checks to millions of dead people over 100.

Instead, Musk and Trump appear to be referencing a well-known, longstanding issue with a Social Security system called the "Numident."

That database listed nearly 19 million Social Security numbers of people 100 or older but not dead, according to a 2023 agency inspector general report.

However, the audit found "almost none" of those people were receiving Social Security payments.

The agency hasn't updated the database because fixing it would cost anywhere from $5.5 to $9.7 million, the report said.

There are other safeguards in place to make sure deceased beneficiaries aren't being sent checks.

As of 2015, the agency automatically stops payments to people who are older than 115 years old.