Auditors keep finding the same roots of Social Security overpayments
The SSA inspector general has estimated nearly $72 billion in improper payments over eight years, and a 2025 report points to late self-reporting as a leading cause.
Accountability
Audit reports, inspector general findings, oversight hearings and whistleblower disclosures summarized with what agencies accepted and what they rejected.
Agencies reported $162 billion in improper payments for fiscal 2024
GAO's tally of federal payment errors shows 16 agencies reporting about $162 billion paid in error across 68 programs — most of it overpayments.
The Pentagon's books still can't be fully audited
For the eighth straight year, the Defense Department's financial statements drew a disclaimer of opinion — auditors could not verify enough of the numbers to give a verdict.
The federal government's trouble spots, all in one list
GAO's High-Risk List tracks the programs most exposed to waste, fraud, and mismanagement — and most of them stay on it for years.