New US Social Security head denies claims of dead centenarians getting benefits
'These individuals are not necessarily receiving benefits,' says Lee Dudek of claims, cited by Elon Musk in his cost-cutting efforts
People holding banners chant during a rally outside Jacob K. Javits Federal Building against the firings of thousands of federal workers by U.S. President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
ISTANBUL
The newly appointed head of the US Social Security Administration denied claims by billionaire Elon Musk that millions of dead individuals age 100 and older are still receiving payments from the agency.
Lee Dudek’s Wednesday statement came in response to claims by Musk – who leads an unofficial cost-cutting team known as the Department of Government Efficiency – alleging that people with ages given as 100, 200, and even 300 regularly receive benefits.
Dudek said the data refers to individuals in records who have a Social Security number but no recorded date of death. "These individuals are not necessarily receiving benefits," he said in a statement.
Earlier claims of Social Security recipients age 150, cited by Musk as signs of fraud and abuse, were debunked as a glitch from an older coding language.
But Dudek also praised Musk’s team – which is under fire for accessing sensitive government records without authorization, among other moves – as “a critical part of President Trump's commitment to identifying fraud, waste, and abuse, and better ways for the government to function to support its people.”
Dudek’s predecessor resigned after refusing a request from Musk's team to access sensitive records. Dudek, who manages the agency’s anti-fraud office, was appointed acting commissioner by President Trump following the resignation.
