The U.S. government has successfully reclaimed more than $31 million in Social Security payments that were improperly issued to deceased individuals. This recovery was part of a five-month pilot program, and officials have indicated that this amount is just the beginning.
The initiative was made possible by temporary access granted to the U.S. Department of Treasury to the Social Security Administration’s Full Death Master File, which is the most comprehensive federal record of individuals who have passed away. The file contains more than 142 million records dating back to 1899. This access was part of the omnibus appropriations bill passed in 2021, allowing the Treasury to use the file for a three-year period, from December 2023 through 2026.
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Treasury officials anticipate that they will recover over $215 million in total during this access period. David Lebryk, Fiscal Assistant Secretary at the Treasury, described the initial recovery as “just the tip of the iceberg,” emphasizing that full access to the death master file could significantly reduce fraud and improve program integrity.
“Full access to the file would enhance our efforts to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs, helping to protect taxpayer dollars,” Lebryk said in a statement.
The initiative also aligns with one of former President Donald Trump’s campaign promises to combat fraud and inefficiency in federal spending. As part of his “Save America” agenda for his second term, Trump has formed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a new non-governmental task force led by business figures Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. This group is tasked with streamlining the federal workforce, cutting unnecessary programs, and reducing regulations.
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While the Treasury’s efforts have already made an impact, it remains unclear whether the incoming administration will continue with this initiative or push to make the Treasury’s temporary access to the death master file permanent. A representative from Trump’s transition team did not immediately respond to requests for comment on this matter.
