Treasury Screens $3.7 Trillion in Payments in One Year, Stops 13,500 Payments to the Deceased Worth About $175 Million
The U.S. Treasury Department announced on October 6 that in fiscal year 2026 (ended September 30), its "Do Not Pay" anti-error system screened more than 1.1 billion federal payments totaling $3.7 trillion, identifying and bouncing back about 13,500 payments - roughly $175 million in all - that were about to go to deceased individuals.
Do Not Pay is a database federal agencies check before sending money, drawing on death records and other data sources. Treasury says the database's coverage jumped from about 4% at the end of fiscal 2025 to roughly 99%, with searchable records growing from 641 million to 2.3 billion in a year. Nine new data sets were added in fiscal 2026, including death records reported by the agencies themselves, and bank-account ownership and Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) verification went fully live on September 30.
The Bureau of the Fiscal Service, which disburses federal payments, says the wider screening lets agencies weed out ineligible payees before money goes out instead of chasing it afterward - part of Washington's broader push against improper payments.
When a family member passes away, notify the Social Security Administration promptly and stop using their account for government benefits. If a government check or deposit arrives in a deceased relative's name, do not cash or spend it - return it as instructed to avoid repayment demands later.
(Source: U.S. Treasury, Bureau of the Fiscal Service)
Source: U.S. Treasury, Bureau of the Fiscal Service
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图片来源：Openverse · *rboed*（CC BY）
