The U.S. government has clawed back more than $31 million in Social Security payments that improperly went to dead people.

The Treasury Department recovered more than $31 million in Social Security payments made to dead people due to a five-month pilot program approved by Congress. The pilot program has given the Treasury temporary access to the Social Security Administration’s “Full Death Master File” for three years as part of a 2021 appropriations bill.

In a groundbreaking initiative, the U.S. Treasury Department has successfully recovered over $31 million in Social Security overpayments made to deceased individuals.