SSA Revises Records for Nearly 15% of Active Social Security Numbers

The Social Security Administration (SSA) revealed on Tuesday that it has made corrections to the records of almost 15% of all active Social Security numbers (SSNs), which includes adding missing death and citizenship details. This initiative is part of the Trump administration’s effort to reduce benefits fraud.

According to the SSA, this marks the most extensive cleanup of the Social Security Number database in its 91-year history. The adjustments affected around 330 million U.S. citizens and nearly 390 million overall records. The agency shared these figures in a statement released on Tuesday.

Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano emphasized the significance of the database for the federal government. “The Social Security Number database is our country’s books and records. The accuracy of this database is crucial for maintaining the integrity of government services for citizens,” Bisignano noted. “This is the first time SSA has undertaken an effort of this scale.”

The agency has incorporated 17 million death dates into records that previously did not have them, utilizing data from its internal systems as well as from the Department of State. Additionally, about 25 million records missing citizenship information were updated, using the Department of Homeland Security’s Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program.

Still, another 8.5 million records with inaccurate citizenship statuses are currently being corrected, according to the commissioner. The SSA also stated that it has implemented stricter internal controls to minimize manual-entry mistakes in the future.

Reuters reported that the SSA administers benefits to millions of older Americans and individuals with disabilities. President Trump has promised to tackle fraud and waste in the system since taking office.

Bisignano, who also heads the IRS, described the work as a reconciliation of the agency’s Numident master file. He mentioned that records previously displayed individuals who seemed to be “150 or 160 years old,” explaining that such entries “create vulnerabilities.”

This cleanup followed a March 2025 action by the Department of Government Efficiency to classify approximately 3.2 million individuals aged 120 and older as deceased.

Democrats have questioned the administration’s management of the death files. A former SSA employee testified to Congress that there was pressure to assign death dates to living individuals. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) have demanded answers from Bisignano regarding this issue. The SSA has denied the addition of 2.7 million names to its Death Master File.

Additionally, a federal judge recently blocked the administration’s SAVE citizenship database earlier this year.