The Social Security Administration’s (SSA) Limited Access Death Master File (DMF) has undergone significant changes over the past month. These developments highlight the continued degradation of the DMF’s data quality. Once a reliable source, the DMF now reflects only 16% of actual decedents – a sharp decline over the past 14 years. Adding to the shift, the SSA has proposed renaming the DMF the “Ineligible Master File,” signaling a broader evolution in its purpose.
What changes have been made?
Addition of Individuals Over 120 Years Old
Between March 14, 2025 and April 19, 2025, the SSA added nearly 11 million individuals to the DMF – all born in 1905 or earlier. This large-scale update involves individuals who are clearly deceased.
Inclusion of Living Immigrants
On April 8, 2025, the SSA added over 6,000 living immigrants to the DMF. This move is part of a broader initiative aimed at limiting individuals’ access to public benefits and financial services. However, the update lacks any identifying marker to distinguish the living from the deceased, complicating the interpretation of the file.
What impact does this have?
The inclusion of individuals over 120 years old has minimal practical impact, as these entries are clearly deceased and easily identifiable.
However, the addition of more than 6,000 living individuals significantly compromises the file’s integrity. With no clear indicator separating the living from the deceased, the risk of false positives in algorithm-based death audits rises. These systems rely heavily on Social Security Number matches and incorrect entries could lead to inappropriate termination of benefits.
For pension plans and insurance providers, this presents a serious challenge. These organizations have a fiduciary duty to ensure benefits are paid accurately and on time. The presence of living individuals in the DMF complicates efforts to identify true decedents and can delay or disrupt benefit payments.
What is Berwyn doing to help?
At Berwyn, our mission is to provide the most accurate and reliable insights in the industry.
Decades of Expertise
With over 30 years of experience in the death audit and locate industry, we have the deep domain knowledge required to detect and adapt to changes in the DMF. Our team continuously monitors the file for anomalies and shares timely updates with our clients.
Investing in CertiDeath®
We continue to enhance CertiDeath, our proprietary solution that combines advanced data science with expert human validation. Unlike algorithm-only approaches, CertiDeath minimizes the risk of misclassifying living individuals, ensuring participants and policyholders receive the benefits they’ve earned.
We will continue to monitor these developments daily and keep you informed as the DMF is updated. Feel free to contact us with any questions.
