• The U.S. Treasury recovered $31 million in Social Security payments wrongly sent to deceased individuals through a five-month pilot program.
• Officials estimate $215 million could be reclaimed by 2026, calling it “just the tip of the iceberg.”
• The program used the SSA’s Full Death Master File, improving death match rates by 139% and halting improper payments.
• The Trump administration plans to address government waste with a new task force, DOGE, aiming to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget.
• Treasury officials urge Congress to grant permanent access to the death file to reduce fraud and safeguard taxpayer dollars.

In a striking example of government mismanagement, the U.S. Treasury has recovered $31 million in Social Security payments that were erroneously sent to deceased individuals. The funds were reclaimed through a five-month pilot program launched in December 2023, which granted the Treasury temporary access to the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) “Full Death Master File.” Officials say this recovery is “just the tip of the iceberg,” with an estimated $215 million expected to be reclaimed by 2026. The revelation highlights systemic inefficiencies in federal spending and raises questions about how such errors persisted for years.

The recovery effort was made possible after Congress granted the Treasury temporary access to the SSA’s Full Death Master File as part of the 2021 omnibus appropriations bill. This database, the most comprehensive federal record of deceased individuals, contains over 142 million records dating back to 1899. By cross-referencing payment records with the death file, the Treasury identified and halted improper payments.

“These results are just the tip of the iceberg,” said David Lebryk, the Treasury’s Fiscal Assistant Secretary, in a statement. He urged Congress to grant permanent access to the file, arguing it would “significantly reduce fraud, improve program integrity, and better safeguard taxpayer dollars.” The pilot program has already shown significant success, improving death match rates by 139% and ensuring faster, more reliable data processing.

A broader problem of waste and fraud

The recovery of these funds underscores a broader issue of government waste and inefficiency. Social Security payments to deceased individuals are just one example of improper payments that cost taxpayers billions annually. The Treasury’s efforts to curb such errors align with President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign promises to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs.

Trump has tapped business leaders Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a new task force aimed at cutting $2 trillion from the federal budget. While the Trump transition team has not yet commented on whether the incoming administration will seek permanent access to the Full Death Master File, the pilot program’s success suggests it could become a key tool in reducing improper payments.

It’s time for real solutions

The Treasury’s temporary access to the death file expires in 2026, but officials are optimistic that continued access could lead to even greater recoveries. The federal government’s fiscal challenges are significant: in fiscal year 2024, it spent $6.75 trillion—1.83 trillion more than it collected in revenue—pushing the national debt to $36.22 trillion.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has emphasized the need to address wasteful spending while protecting programs like Social Security. “There are many, many areas of fraud, waste, and abuse,” Johnson said at a recent press conference. “The government is too large. The agencies are too many. They have too many divisions and employees and all the rest.”

As the Treasury continues its recovery efforts, the incoming Trump administration faces a critical opportunity to overhaul government efficiency. If successful, programs like DOGE could transform how federal agencies operate, ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and reducing the likelihood of such costly errors in the future.

The recovery of $31 million in improper Social Security payments is a small but significant step toward addressing systemic government waste. While the Treasury’s efforts have already yielded impressive results, the real test will be whether these reforms become permanent. With the Trump administration poised to prioritize government efficiency, the days of unchecked mismanagement and overspending may finally be numbered. For taxpayers, it’s a long-overdue victory—and a reminder of the work still to be done.

 

Sources for this article include:

NYPost.com

APNews.com

NTD.com

FoxNews.com