\nLet\u2019s talk about Social Security\u2014if you want the facts.<\/p>\n
Who are Akash Bobba, Scott Coulter, Marko Elez, Luke Farritor, Antonio Gracias, Gautier Cole Killian, Jon Koval, Nikhil Rajpal, Payton Rehling, and Ethan Shaotran? These 10 Musk staffers are working within the Social Security Administration, accessing your information. How did they gain access in the first place? A man named Leland Dudek, who worked at the agency, gave them illegal access in exchange for a promotion. Dudek is now the acting Social Security Commissioner.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Musk and Trump have been vocal in their attacks on Social Security, with Musk labeling it a \u201cPonzi scheme\u201d and making unverified claims that millions of 150-year-olds are fraudulently collecting benefits. This shocking assertion feeds into broader arguments that the federal bureaucracy is riddled with waste and fraud and requires radical change. There\u2019s just one problem: No evidence exists to support it.<\/p>\n
Despite being informed by Social Security Administration (SSA) staff last month that his claims have no basis in fact, Musk and Trump have continued to use them as a pretext to attack the program. The origin of Musk\u2019s claim stem from a list of Social Security recipients without recorded death dates. However, agency employees explained to Musk\u2019s staffers in February that these individuals were not receiving benefits. The absence of death dates was an outdated record-keeping issue, not proof of widespread fraud.<\/p>\n
In fact, references to 150-year-olds receiving benefits stem from how Social Security software handles missing birth dates, as well as cases where deceased individuals were not properly marked in the system. These names were not receiving benefits. This is a far cry from the massive fraud and waste Musk claims.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, people are \u201crising from the dead.\u201d Ned Johnson was marked deceased in SSA\u2019s records last month. SSA had his bank return over $5,000 in \u201cfraudulent payments.\u201d He went to an SSA office, waited in line for hours to speak to someone, showed his ID documents, and got them to reverse the error. The bank redeposited the funds, but he still hasn\u2019t gotten his missed Social Security payments. Social Security can\u2019t explain how he got marked deceased. The office he went to is slated for closure, like many others.<\/p>\n
Musk\u2019s so-called \u201cDOGE team\u201d has already begun pushing major changes to the SSA\u2014starting with closing SSA field offices across the country. These office closures will negatively impact SSA customer service and worsen the beneficiary experience. The cuts will make in-person appointments harder to get, forcing people to wait longer and travel farther for assistance.<\/p>\n
The closure of the White Plains office alone will require those needing in-person help to travel up to 135 miles\u2014a burden that will be difficult for many and impossible for some.<\/p>\n
A 2024 report from Social Security\u2019s inspector general found that less than 1% of payments made over a seven-year period were considered improper\u2014which is far different from fraud. Yet Musk continues to claim that tens of millions of recipients are fraudulent.<\/p>\n
For context, approximately 73 million Americans receive Social Security. If Musk\u2019s claim were true, that would mean a fraud rate of at least 25%\u2014or roughly 1 in 4 recipients. There is no credible evidence to support such an outlandish claim.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, even when mistaken payments do occur, the SSA claws back the money\u2014often aggressively. If a beneficiary receives an overpayment, even due to SSA error, they are required to pay it back. These clawbacks can be devastating, as many recipients are on fixed incomes. Some seniors and disabled individuals have even been hit with large repayment demands for mistakes made by SSA\u2019s own miscalculations, forcing them into financial distress. This is not a system that casually lets fraud slip through.<\/p>\n
Musk has also doubled down on other baseless accusations, including stating in a Fox Business Network interview that people are collecting benefits using \u201cfake Social Security numbers.\u201d If that were true, there would be a booming black market for fake numbers to exploit the system. Yet no such widespread issue exists. Ever heard of a beneficiary? When someone loses a spouse or parent, they often qualify for survivor benefits\u2014a fundamental part of the program, not fraud.<\/p>\n