Senator John Kennedy reintroduced legislation aimed at stopping the mistaken payment of government benefits to deceased people.
The senator cited a Louisiana case where a man was accused to collecting 30-thousand dollars in disability benefits by neglecting to inform Social Security his sister had died.
"Our bill will give the federal government added tools to ensure that dead people aren’t receiving taxpayer-funded benefits." Kennedy says.
Kennedy is reintroducing the 'Stopping Improper Payments to Deceased People Act'.
"Cutting checks to deceased people is one of the most glaring examples of government waste," Says Congresswoman Cheri Bustos D-Illinois. Bustos, who introduced companion legislation in the House, replied, "It’s crucial our federal agencies have access to the most up-to-date information available to prevent this from occurring in the future."
The Act would require that federal agencies make appropriate use of the death data in order to curb improper payments. This will be achieved by allowing more federal agencies to access the Complete Death Database currently maintained by the Social Security Administration.
Kennedy says a 2015 Inspector General Report identifies 6.5 million people 112-years of age or older who are listed as still alive.
The Stopping Improper Payments to Deceased People Act was initially introduced in the House and Senate in February 2018.