Social Security checks saw a 2.5% boost this month thanks to the latest cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). For most retirees, this is the only benefit increase they can expect all year. Their checks won't go up again until the next COLA takes effect in January 2026.

The money came back when the Department of Treasury gained access to the Social Security Administration's "Full Death Master File."

The U.S. government clawed back more than $31 million in federal payments that improperly went to dead people, a recovery that one official said Wednesday was “just the tip of the iceberg.” The money was reclaimed as part of a five-month pilot program after Congress gave the Department of Treasury temporary access to the Social

In a significant move to curb financial discrepancies, the U.S. Treasury has reclaimed $31 million from Social Security payments erroneously made to deceased individuals.