As billionaire Trump advisor Elon Musk continues to fire staff, cancel contracts, and eliminate office leases across the federal government, retirees, Social Security advocates, and Democratic politicians are fretting about what could happen to the agency that delivers cash benefits to some 73 million Americans each month—one charged with paying out $1.

Elon Musk has said that Social Security benefits could increase as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) continues its investigations into the Social Security Administration (SSA). Social Security benefits are paid monthly,

Billionaire Elon Musk has said there is widespread fraud taking place in the payment of "federal entitlements" like Social Security. Social Security benefits are paid to more than 70 million Americans on a monthly basis, and help form the bedrock of income for many retirees, survivors of deceased claimants and disabled people.

Elon Musk falsely claimed there were tens of millions of people aged 100-159 still receiving Social Security benefits.

It is true that improper payments have been made—including some to dead people—but the claims thrown out by Elon Musk and Donald Trump are overstated.

Musk first made the claims that benefits are being claimed by people who appear to have died long ago while speaking from the Oval Office with President Trump last week. He said that DOGE has performed a "cursory examination of Social Security, and we got people in there that are 150 years old."

The Trump administration claimed the Social Security Administration gives payments to dead people. SSA audits revealed it happens less than suspected.