US Reclaims $31M In Social Security Payments Sent To The Dead

The U.S. government has just recovered $31 million, which it improperly paid to dead people through Social Security payments and the recovery was just "a tip of the iceberg" denoting that more may be in the works.

The recovery came after Congress allowed the Department of Treasury temporary access to the "Full Death Master File" of the Social Security Administration.

"These results are just the tip of the iceberg," said Fiscal Assistant Secretary David Lebryk. "Congress granting permanent access to the Full Death Master File will significantly reduce fraud, improve program integrity, and better safeguard taxpayer dollars."

Treasury was given three years to pore over the records as part of the omnibus appropriations bill passed in 2021.

The Social Security Administration has the most comprehensive records. The agency holds more than 142 million records, which goes back to 1899.

The Treasury says it has increased the number of death matches by 139 percent and improved timelines in accounting for wrongful payments.

Treasury's Office of Payment Integrity provides federal agencies and federally-funded state-administered programs access to tools and services to prevent fraud, including confirming payment eligibility and verifying account status and ownership.

It projects a recovery of approximately $215 million within the three-year period.