02/26/2025

Here’s DOGE’s Plan For Social Security

ttps://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/here-s-doge-s-plan-for-social-security/ss-AA1zNvWW?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=f83059f9f4f845c499482385ebda0c39&ei=5#image=2

President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is looking to implement over $200 million in cuts at the Social Security Administration (SSA). The initiative seeks to eliminate fraud and wasteful spending across federal programs, but DOGE’s access to sensitive government data has sparked significant controversy. Musk has made several claims regarding the number of deceased individuals allegedly receiving Social Security benefits, asserting that millions of long-dead people are on the rolls.

We analyze the claims in this photo gallery.

Musk presented data suggesting that 400 million individuals are receiving benefits, including many over the age of 100. However, official statistics indicate that there were only 68.5 million recipients in 2024.

(If that is the case, justify that only those people are still alive, find out why the rest are on the rolls, and once that is done delete those people. There should be three lists – one for dead people and their SS numbers, a list of dead people with survivors (wife/young children who are collecting), and the alive people who are receiving a check and their SS numbers.)

Musk stated, “Having tens of millions of people marked in Social Security as ‘ALIVE’ when they are definitely dead is a HUGE problem.” (Could be eligible survivors of the dead.)

Currently, DOGE reports savings of approximately $232 million related to the SSA. The largest portion of these savings, about $231 million, is attributed to reductions in IT and telecom management services. A 2023 audit revealed that 18.9 million people in the database were listed as being 100 years or older, but most had not received benefits in decades.

Criticism of Musk’s statements has come from various quarters, including former SSA Commissioner Martin O’Malley, who expressed concern over the handling of personal information by DOGE staff. O’Malley said, “These 19-year-old nitwits from DOGE that are violating the law and plucking people’s … personal identifying information, they don’t know what they’re looking at.”

( Don’t criticize Mr. O/Malley, since you being the leader weren’t trying to fix it.)

Finance expert Kevin Thompson noted the distinction between the existence of Social Security numbers for those over 100 and the actual collection of benefits, noting the potential for misunderstanding in Musk’s assertions. Thompson stated, “Are there people collecting social security over 100 years of age, the answer is incontrovertibly yes. But not at all to the extent Musk implies. This is what happens when people wade into topics they don’t fully understand. He’s confusing the fact that thousands of Social Security numbers exist for people over 100 with them actually collecting benefits. Two very different things.”

(You are missing the point – again. Mr. Musk is there to verify live versus dead folks – why if they were not receiving checks, were dead (could be eligible survivors) and still on the rolls? Quit trying to muddy up the water! Again, why were they still on the rolls, but dead and showing alive, and not getting a monthly check is the point of contention.

The left needs to help rather than criticizing and trying to throw shade on the problem to cover up their past lack of due diligence.

John Baker covers U.S. politics & news for content partner Modern Newsstand LLC.

kommonsentsjane