Figure 4

SSI’s improper payment rates are 56 percent higher than they were in fiscal year 2015

Improper payment rate as a percentage of total SSI outlays, fiscal years 2015–2024

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Sources: FY 2015–2018 data from SSA.gov SSI Improper Payments Experience, FY 2019–2024 data from SSA’s FY 2021–2025 Agency Financial Reports.

Notes: An overpayment occurs when SSA pays a recipient more than the correct amount, typically because changes in factors that affect eligibility were not reported or processed in time. An underpayment occurs when SSA pays a recipient less than the correct amount, often due to agency processing errors or miscalculations.