Social Security Distributed Almost $72 Billion in Improper Payments, Watchdog Says

Most of the overpayments were made by the SSA to beneficiaries.

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) made nearly $72 billion worth of improper payments over a period of seven years, with almost one-third yet to be recouped, according to the SSA’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG).

“SSA issues over $1 trillion in benefit payments annually. Even the slightest error in the overall payment process can result in billions of dollars in improper payments,” the OIG said in an Aug. 19 statement, citing an analysis published in July. Improper payments can be either overpayments or underpayments.