The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced Tuesday that it has corrected millions of Social Security number records, including missing citizenship information and death records, as part of a sweeping effort to improve the accuracy of its federal database.
The agency said the initiative has resulted in corrections to nearly 15 percent of all active Social Security numbers since President Donald Trump returned to office.
“The Social Security Number database is our country’s books and records. The database’s accuracy is essential to maintaining integrity of government services for citizens,” SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano said in a press release.
“Accurate SSN records prevent fraud across federal programs and support the proper administration of benefits.”
Millions of Citizenship Records Updated
One of the largest changes involved approximately 25 million Social Security records that were missing citizenship information.
The SSA said it used the Department of Homeland Security's Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) service to help update those files.
The agency is also working to correct another 8.5 million records containing inaccurate citizenship information.
SAVE has drawn national attention following the Trump administration's efforts to expand citizenship verification ahead of November's midterm elections.
Trump previously directed DHS to provide election officials with resources to verify voter citizenship. His administration also sought to require states to share voter rolls with federal officials to identify noncitizens who might be registered to vote.
A federal judge blocked that directive in early October, although the ruling did not shut down the SAVE system itself.
The administration has continued promoting the technology as part of its broader efforts to prevent fraud and strengthen federal recordkeeping.
SSA Adds 17 Million Death Records
Beyond citizenship information, the SSA said it added approximately 17 million dates of death to records that previously lacked that information.
The agency relied on internal Social Security systems and State Department data to make those updates.
Accurate death records are particularly important because they help federal agencies identify deceased individuals and prevent improper benefit payments.
However, the SSA's announcement did not specify how many fraudulent payments, if any, were directly prevented by the corrections.
Bisignano described the undertaking as an unprecedented effort to improve the reliability of Social Security's records.
“The first time SSA has undertaken a record‑integrity initiative of this magnitude and marks a significant step toward strengthening the SSN system for the American public,” Bisignano said.
