The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has reported a significant discovery regarding fraudulent unemployment claims since 2020. In a recent announcement, the agency revealed that tens of thousands of claims were approved for individuals who are implausibly young or old, including claimants aged over 115 and those between 1 and 5 years old.
According to DOGE, approximately 24,500 claims were filed by individuals over 115 years old, amounting to $59 million in benefits, while about 28,000 claims were submitted by individuals aged 1 to 5, totaling $254 million. Additionally, there were claims from nearly 9,700 individuals with recorded birth dates over 15 years in the future, resulting in $69 million in benefits. One notable case involved a claim submitted by an individual with a birth year of 2154, requesting $41,000.
The Labor Department has confirmed the authenticity of DOGE's findings, acknowledging the substantial amount of unemployment insurance that was improperly distributed to fraudulent recipients. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer emphasized the department's commitment to recovering these funds and addressing fraud.
In parallel, DOGE is also working to clean up Social Security records, identifying nearly 10 million individuals listed as age 120 or older as deceased, with efforts ongoing to address the remaining cases. Despite these initiatives, both DOGE and the Social Security Administration (SSA) have faced criticism for instances where living individuals have been incorrectly flagged as deceased, leading to disruptions in benefits. The SSA has acknowledged that while erroneous death reports are rare, they can have severe consequences for affected individuals and their families, underscoring the importance of rectifying such mistakes promptly.