The president claimed money is being wasted on residents between the ages of 100 to 360
The US Social Security Administration has spoken out after the president claimed money was being dished out to impossibly elderly citizens.
During his address to Congress on Tuesday (March 4), former President Donald Trump made a striking claim, asserting that the government has been recklessly spending funds on individuals who are supposedly over 140 years old.
The 78-year-old former president declared, “We’re uncovering shocking levels of incompetence and likely fraud within the Social Security program for our seniors.” He further alleged that, according to Social Security Administration (SSA) records, millions of impossibly aged recipients have been receiving payments—raising serious concerns about mismanagement and deception within the system.
Trump outlined startling figures, claiming that millions of Social Security recipients fall into age groups that defy human longevity:
- 4.7 million between 100 and 109 years old
- 3.6 million between 110 and 119
- 3.47 million between 120 and 129
- 3.9 million between 130 and 139
- 3.5 million between 140 and 149
- 1.3 million between 150 and 159
Additionally, he alleged that 130,000 individuals over 160 years old were receiving benefits—along with several hundred aged over 220 and even one person listed as 360 years old.
However, an NBC News fact-check revealed that while the Social Security Administration (SSA) database does contain records of impossibly old individuals, this does not necessarily mean they are receiving payments.
In response to the controversy, the SSA issued a statement clarifying:
“The data reported in the media represent people who do not have a date of death associated with their record.”
The agency emphasized that maintaining accurate records is crucial, even if those listed are not actively receiving benefits. Following Trump’s remarks, the SSA claimed it has made “significant progress” in identifying and correcting outdated records of individuals aged 100 and older.
The revelation comes amid longstanding concerns over the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) record-keeping practices. Inspectors have repeatedly flagged outdated records as a critical issue, but according to reports, the SSA has defended its inaction, arguing that updating them is both costly and unnecessary.
A significant part of the problem stems from the SSA’s reliance on the outdated COBOL programming language, which struggles with date formatting. As reported by NewsNation, when birthdates are missing or incomplete, the system defaults to a reference point more than 150 years ago, inadvertently creating records for impossibly aged individuals.
Inspection reports from March 2023 and July 2024 further exposed that the agency never implemented a reliable system for logging death dates. Rather than investing the estimated $9 million needed to correct its database, the SSA instead automatically halts payments to anyone over 115 years old.
In response to the controversy, the SSA explained that it compiles death records using data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, based on whether an individual has accessed healthcare within the past three years. The agency claims it prioritizes cases involving individuals aged 90 and older, attempting to interview them to verify they are still alive.
“If the agency identifies someone as deceased, it immediately stops payment and reports any suspicions of fraud to SSA’s Office of the Inspector General,” the statement assured.
Lee Dudek, Acting Commissioner of Social Security, acknowledged the issue and expressed gratitude for Trump’s remarks, stating:
“I thank President Trump for highlighting these inconsistencies during his speech last night to a joint session of Congress. We are steadfast in our commitment to root out fraud, waste, and abuse in our programs, and we are actively correcting the inconsistencies with missing dates of death.”
