The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by billionaire Elon Musk, has completed a sweeping overhaul of Social Security Administration (SSA) records, removing 12.3 million individuals listed as 120 years or older from the database. Announced on May 27, 2025, the effort, described as a “major cleanup” by DOGE, aims to curb waste and potential fraud in the federal program. The move has sparked both praise for its efficiency drive and criticism for exaggerating the issue’s scope, highlighting the Trump administration’s aggressive push to streamline government operations.
The cleanup targeted the SSA’s Numident database, which tracks Social Security numbers issued since 1936. A 2023 SSA inspector general report flagged 18.9 million records of individuals born before 1920 lacking death information, suggesting they were over 100 years old. DOGE’s updates, detailed in posts on X, began in March, with 3.2 million records marked deceased by March 18, 11 million by April 24, and now 12.3 million total. A chart shared by DOGE showed 3.5 million aged 120-129, 3.9 million aged 130-139, and others up to an implausible 360 years old, prompting Musk’s quip: “Maybe Twilight is real and there are vampires collecting Social Security.”
President Donald Trump and Musk initially claimed these records indicated massive fraud, with Trump suggesting “millions” were improperly receiving benefits. However, the SSA clarified that only 44,000 of these records—less than 0.1% of 67 million beneficiaries—were linked to payments, and just 13 were for those likely over 112. Since 2015, the SSA automatically halts payments to anyone listed as 115 or older, undermining claims of widespread abuse. A 2024 inspector general report noted $71.8 billion in improper payments from 2015 to 2022, but these were mostly overpayments to living recipients, not the deceased.
Critics argue the cleanup addresses a technical glitch rather than rampant fraud. The SSA’s reliance on COBOL, a 60-year-old programming language, causes missing birthdates to default to May 20, 1875, falsely aging records to 150 years or more. Experts like Charles Blahous of the Mercatus Center emphasize that Social Security’s improper payment rate—less than 1% of $8.6 trillion disbursed over seven years—is low compared to programs like Medicaid. “This is a database issue, not a scandal,” said political science professor Richard Himelfarb. The SSA’s decision not to update records earlier, citing a $9 million cost, reflects the low financial impact of these errors.
Supporters, however, hail DOGE’s efforts as a victory for taxpayer accountability. Posts on X celebrated the removal of “12.3 million ghosts,” with users like
@EricLDaugh calling DOGE “popular and effective.” The White House touts the cleanup as part of $3.4 billion in savings, including cuts to DEI contracts and FEMA funds for migrant housing. Acting SSA Commissioner Lee Dudek acknowledged the need for accurate records, even for non-beneficiaries, but stressed that most outdated entries predate electronic death reporting.
The cleanup, while significant, raises questions about DOGE’s broader agenda. With a mandate to cut $2 trillion in federal spending by July 2026, DOGE’s focus on Social Security has alarmed recipients, especially the 15 million on Supplemental Security Income and Disability Insurance, who fear staffing cuts could worsen service delays. As DOGE nears its goal of clearing 2 million more records, the debate persists: Is this a bold strike against waste or a distraction from deeper systemic challenges?
