How Social Security Death Data bolstered Treasury’s Do Not Pay system - GAO.GOV
Improper payments by the federal government are not a new phenomenon. Improper payments have been a longstanding, widespread, and significant problem, costing taxpayers an estimated $2.8 trillion in the last two decades. To reduce these improper payments, a pilot program was developed to reduce the occurrence of these payments. “In April 2025, Treasury reported that the pilot had identified and prevented or recovered $113.5 million in payment errors during its first year alone.” However, while this pilot program has helped reduce payment errors, it comes with financial costs. Hannah Padilla, Director of Financial Management and Assurance for the U.S. Government Accountability Office, discusses how Social Security Death Data is helping to prevent federal payment errors. Read Ms. Padilla’s blog here…
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