WASHINGTON, D.C. – Social Security announced today that more than three million deaths are reported to the Social Security Administration annually and explained that the agency’s records are highly accurate.
Of these millions of death reports received each year, less than one-third of 1 percent are erroneously reported deaths that need to be corrected.
Deaths are reported to Social Security primarily from the States and other sources, including family members, funeral homes, Federal agencies, and financial institutions. In a 2008 audit report, the IG noted that “SSA receives most death reports from funeral homes or friends/relatives of the deceased. SSA considers such first-party death reports verified and immediately posts them in the Death Master File.”
Instances when a person is erroneously reported as deceased to Social Security can be devasting to the individual, spouse, and dependent children. Benefits are stopped in the short term, which can cause financial hardship until they are fixed and benefits restored, and the process to prove an erroneous death will always seem too long and challenging.
If a person suspects they have been incorrectly listed as deceased on their Social Security record, they should immediately contact their local Social Security office. They can locate their nearest Social Security office at www.ssa.gov/agency/contact/.
They should be prepared to bring at least one piece of current (not expired) original form of identification. Social Security takes immediate action to correct its records. The agency can provide a letter that the error has been corrected and can be shared with other organizations, agencies, and employers.
For additional information, please visit What to do when someone dies | SSA.
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