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Social Security: Most Social Security Death Information Accurate But Improvements Possible

HEHS-94-211 Published: Aug 29, 1994. Publicly Released: Aug 29, 1994.
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Highlights

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the reliability of the death information that the Social Security Administration (SSA) routinely shares with other federal agencies.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Social Security Administration To maintain the most accurate death information possible, the Commissioner of Social Security should update the death file for cases that are found to be erroneously terminated and modify SSA requirements for processing death reports to reduce the number of rejected reports.
Closed – Implemented
In December 1994, SSA issued new guidance to all field offices to update the death file for cases found to be erroneously terminated.
Social Security Administration To maintain the most accurate death information possible, the Commissioner of Social Security should establish a system to: (1) process feedback received from other federal agencies on erroneous SSA death information; and (2) correct erroneous information in order to increase the accuracy of the SSA death file.
Closed – Not Implemented
Implementation of this recommendation requires that OMB clarify requirements for other federal agencies to provide SSA with feedback on erroneous death terminations. SSA has no plans to implement this recommendation without OMB direction. To date, OMB has been unresponsive about taking action on this recommendation.
Social Security Administration The Commissioner of Social Security should inform other agencies that death reports received by SSA for nonbeneficiaries have not been verified and, thus, may have an increased chance of error.
Closed – Implemented
When providing death information to other entities, SSA notifies them that this information has not been verified and they should independently verify the data before terminating benefits in their programs.
Office of Management and Budget The Director, OMB, should clarify the requirements for agencies in OMB Circular 92-04 for providing feedback to SSA derived from their investigations of death reports.
Closed – Not Implemented
To date, OMB has been unresponsive about taking action on this recommendation. SSA has no plans to implement this recommendation without OMB direction.

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Topics

BeneficiariesComputer matchingData collectionData integrityEmployee survivors benefitsInteragency relationsReporting requirementsSocial security benefitsVital recordsSupplemental security incomeDeceased persons