The U.S. Department of the Treasury has announced the prevention and recovery of over $31 million in fraudulent and improper payments through a five-month pilot program using the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) Full Death Master File. This initiative is part of efforts to enhance program integrity and safeguard taxpayer dollars.
“These results are just the tip of the iceberg,” stated Fiscal Assistant Secretary David Lebryk. He emphasized that permanent access to the Full Death Master File, as granted by Congress, will further reduce fraud and improve program integrity.
Key outcomes from this pilot include a projected net benefit of $215 million over three years, spanning from December 2023 to December 2026. The integration of SSA’s death data led to a 139 percent increase in death matches, improving both timeliness and data quality. Additionally, there was notable growth in federal program usage due to new or expanded partnerships.
The SSA’s Full Death Master File is an extensive database with more than 142 million records dating back to 1899. Temporary access was granted to the Treasury under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 for three years starting December 27, 2023. The Treasury’s Office of Payment Integrity offers tools and services for fraud prevention, including confirming payment eligibility and verifying account status.
Further information on Treasury’s fraud prevention products can be found at paymentintegrity.treasury.gov.
