‘Less Than One-Third of 1 Percent' of Deaths Are Erroneously Reported: SSA

Being falsely listed as deceased makes it tough on the person to get a job, receive tax refunds, or secure credit, and it affects dependents.

A Social Security card sits alongside checks from the U.S. Treasury in Washington on Oct. 14, 2021. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

The Social Security Administration (SSA) recently announced an update regarding its death records, indicating there were mistakes but that the agency numbers were mostly accurate.

About 3 million deaths are reported to the agency each year, and the “records are highly accurate,” SSA said in a March 16 statement.