Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) project recently made headlines with claims of government fraud related to 150-year-olds receiving Social Security benefits. During a press conference last week, Musk raised eyebrows by suggesting that individuals as old as 150 were collecting payments, a claim met with skepticism from experts and programmers alike.
Despite Musk’s assertions, no concrete evidence has been presented to support the existence of centenarians receiving benefits. The alleged anomaly was quickly attributed to a peculiar aspect of the Social Security Administration’s outdated COBOL programming language, which lacks a date type. Instead, dates are coded to a reference point, with May 20, 1875 being a commonly used benchmark.
Computer programmers familiar with COBOL clarified that the appearance of 150-year-olds in the system was likely a result of missing or incomplete birth dates defaulting to the reference point. This explanation sheds light on the apparent discrepancy highlighted by Musk’s DOGE project. Additionally, the SSA’s policy of ceasing benefit payments at age 115 further challenges the validity of Musk’s claims.
Musk’s subsequent actions, including posting screenshots of alleged Social Security database figures on his X platform, added fuel to the fire. The figures purportedly showed over 10 million people aged over 120 collecting benefits, prompting Musk to humorously suggest that “Twilight” might be real with vampires drawing Social Security.
However, the veracity of Musk’s findings was questioned as the database he referenced contained nearly 400 million entries, far exceeding the number of actual benefit recipients in 2024. Furthermore, an SSA inspector general report from 2023 revealed that a majority of individuals aged 100 or older in the system did not receive benefits due to outdated records.
Critics, including former NSA executive Thomas Drake, warn of potential privacy risks associated with DOGE’s broad access to sensitive government data. Drake emphasized the importance of understanding the intricate structures behind government systems to prevent unintended consequences.
Despite Musk’s promises of transparency and substantial savings through DOGE, the project’s website failed to deliver on its commitments. The lack of detailed savings information and security concerns raised doubts about the initiative’s credibility and efficacy. Drake expressed concerns about the potential negative impact of wealth redistribution and increased debt resulting from misguided government interventions driven by self-interest.
As questions continue to swirl around Musk’s claims and the integrity of the DOGE project, the White House and DOGE representatives have remained silent on the matter, leaving many to ponder the implications of Musk’s allegations and the broader implications for government transparency and accountability.
