DOGE AI Error Wrongly Declares Man Dead, Bank Seizes His Funds
Eighty-two-year-old Leonard “Ned” Johnson’s Social Security benefits and Medicare were abruptly canceled after the Social Security Administration mistakenly declared him deceased. This error, potentially linked to Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency budget cuts, resulted in over $5,000 in lost benefits and impacted his credit report. Despite personally proving his aliveness to Social Security officials, Johnson has yet to receive his back payments, highlighting systemic issues within the agency. The incident underscores concerns about the potential impact of aggressive budget cuts on Social Security’s functionality and accuracy.