Local professor breaks down Social Security gaps
Social Security records show that 6.5 million people in the U.S. have surpassed their golden years, to near platinum, reaching the age of 112.
Dr. Memo Diriker says, “In the state of Maryland, the area that is aging the fastest is the eastern shore. Within in the eastern shore area, the zone that is aging the fastest is actually the lower shore of Maryland.”
Dr. Diriker is the Director of the Business, Economic, and Community Outreach Network at Salisbury University. He says the number of older Americans is growing rapidly. However, 6.5 million people being 112 right now is a bit farfetched.
In reality, only a few people 112- years- old are probably alive. Last fall, only 42 people were recorded to be 112- years- old worldwide. So what do these stats mean? Well, there are millions of active Social Security numbers for people who aren’t living.
Diriker says, “Death records are local records. By the time those records make it to the state level, then to the federal level, there are multiple hand-overs. From one system to the other, one mistake will take it out of align.”
Dr. Diriker attributes the gap between the number of people who are actually living, and the number of people the social security system “thinks” are living, to the transition into technological advancements.
He says when Social Security first started everything was on paper and now it’s not. This has created an opportunity for scammers.
Dr. Diriker continues, “There’s going to be individuals who are going to find a way to take advantage of that system. There’s going to be fraud.”
Examples of this include obtaining credits cards, opening bank accounts, and claiming fraudulent tax refunds. However, as alarming as that may sound, Doctor Diriker says the gap will begin to close in due time.
He believes as the older generation dies, the newer generation will be monitored electronically, allowing less room for error.
A senate committee on Homeland Security and Government affairs is holding a hearing Monday to discuss issues surrounding death records maintained by the Social Security Administration.
