Seniors fear they could be in the firing line as Elon Musk hinted which government agency he could take an axe to next.
Musk, appearing alongside President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Tuesday, revealed that his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has found people who are 'probably dead' still receiving Social Security checks.
Already, Musk has entirely dismantled USAID and targeted FEMA by having its four top finance officials fired for paying $59 million to luxury hotels in New York City to house illegal migrants.
Additionally, 40,000 federal employees have accepted a buyout Trump offered for them to voluntarily leave their roles in exchange for full pay through September.
Now, Musk's latest revelations about Social Security payments have sparked fears thr program, which comes under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), could be the next to face the wrath of DOGE as it seeks to cut federal spending.
However, others are glad that an audit or examination of the Social Security Administration might crack down on fraud or mistakes and in turn yield taxpayer money back to the federal government for use elsewhere.
'Reexamination of Social Security – we've got people in there that are 150-years-old,' Musk lamented during an impromptu press conference as Trump signed an executive order.
Elon Musk revealed on Tuesday that there are people who are 'probably dead' still receiving Social Security checks
This suggest that the Social Security Administration is the next target for DOGE to make cuts. Pictured: Elon Musk and his son X join President Donald Trump for an Oval Office executive order signing on Tuesday, February 11, 2025
'Now do you know anyone who's 150?' the billionaire asked. 'I don't know. They should be in the Guinness Book of World Records. They're missing out.'
'So, you know, that's the case where I think they're probably dead, is my guess, or they should be very famous – one of the two,' he concluded.
There were 71.6 million people who received Social Security benefits in 2023. It includes those who receive retirement, disability and survivors benefits.
Approximately 42 million of those payments are sent in the form of monthly checks to retired workers, starting at age 62 for those who took the benefits early.
In 2024, the maximum payment to those who took the benefits early was $2,710 per month. It goes up to $3,822 per month at full retirement age of 67 and caps out at $4,873 for those who waited to collect until they were 70.
The amount per payment depends on a number of factors including how much a person earned when they were working and cost-of-living in the area they live.
Musk's young son, who is often referred to as X, was alongside his father and the president for the Oval Office appearance this week.
The four-year-old's unconventional name is X Æ A-Xii, pronounced ex-ash-ay-twelve. His mother is Canadian musician Grimes, whose real name is Claire Boucher.
She was not pleased to learn of her son's attendance on Tuesday.
Millions of Americans receive Social Security payments for retirement, disability and survivor benefits. But Musk says there are 150-year-olds receiving checks
'He should not be in public like this,' Grimes wrote on Musk's social media app X, which he bought and named after their shared son.
'I did not see this, thank u for alerting me. But I'm glad he was polite. Sigh,' she said in response to someone bringing her son's Oval Office appearance to her attention.
Musk and X stole the show from Trump during his executive order signing on Tuesday.
It was the first time Musk appeared publicly with the President since they were together for inaugural events last month.
Since Trump took office, Musk has been busy with DOGE slashing government contracts, employment and whole agencies.
His team - dubbed the 'nerd army' - has taken on the task of examining the entirety of the federal government to identify areas where cuts can be made to save money and reduce spending.
