Obama to agencies: Don't pay dead people

[Akoto]

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Here's an idea, Uncle Sam: Stop writing checks to dead people.

The government sent benefit checks to 20,000 departed Americans over three years, totaling more than $180 million - a remarkable number that provoked the Obama administration to create a government-wide "do not pay" list as part of its brainstorming for ways to save taxpayer money.

Once the database is up and running, agencies will have to search it before sending out payments. A pre-check check, so to speak.

"We're making sure that payments no longer go to the deceased - it sounds ridiculous even to say it," acknowledged Vice President Joe Biden in describing the database.

Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_DO_NOT_PAY?SITE=VACUL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

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For those of you who've always wondered how the zombie invasion would begin ...

[CreekDog]

1. Besides, it's not money they want

[damntexdem]

15. Yeah, what about zombie rights?

Brains ain't free, you know. Even foraging for their own, zombies still have to lay out money for such essential equipment as bone saws.

;-)

[and-justice-for-all]

29. Some one call ZCLU!!! nt

[Jamastiene]

2. What a wonderful move by our president.

Those dead people need to get a damn job and quit waiting for handouts from our government.

:P

[Deep13]

4. Dead people are so lazy.

I don't want to sound like a bigot, BUT they're rude, they ignore you, they refuse to say hello. If you invite them over they just stare at the wall all evening. And don't get me started on their hygiene. I can understand dandruff, but hunks of scalp with hair on it? Maggots? And then there's that smell! Plus I hate it when they wear stupid novelty T-shirts that say things like, "Yesterday was the last day of the rest of my life."

But don't get me wrong. Some of my best relatives are dead.

[awoke_in_2003]

10. some of my relatives...

are best dead :)

[Jamastiene]

27. So true.

:P

[DJ13]

3. Good start, but how about ending the billions in tax breaks

to corporations to promote outsourcing, wouldnt that be a better way to save money and improve our economy?

[Akoto]

5. Well, if you want a serious answer ...

The taxpayer money referenced in the OP is being paid to people who no longer exist. It's going nowhere. At least the corporations aren't dead. ;)

That said, it's one step among many we can and should take, including cutting the tax breaks.

[DJ13]

6. It's going nowhere.

Technically it probably goes right back into the economy, as people who might be cashing those checks are likely on the lower end of incomes.

I was really commenting on the usual DC politician's approach here, where they will always go after the little unimportant things to make it look like they're doing something instead of tackling the bigger problems.

Besides, some of my best friends are zombies.

:)

[davidinalameda]

21. fraud isn't a big problem?

maybe it's just me but $180 million sounds like a big problem

[northzax]

30. $180 million?

sounds like a lot, sure. but it's really peanuts in the grand scheme of things. the fact that this is something that can be easily and cheaply corrected (with the database) is a good thing.

[Radical Activist]

7. Well. there goes the dead vote.

That will cost him in Chicago.

[GreenPartyVoter]

16. Ok. You got me.

:spray::rofl:

[mopinko]

31. especially in those zombie-fied neighborhoods.

you know the ones, where everyone was dead, and a few dorian grey types moved in and the next thing you know, there is a blood bank on every corner.


edited to make it funnier.

[Robb]

34. LOL nice. nt

[hedgehog]

8. It's less a savings in and of itself than it is removing a governmnet fraud and waste talking point.

Not that that's a bad thing!

[Hubert Flottz]

9. There goes all those dead folk's votes!

That was one of the main groups that supported John McCain in Lincoln county West Virginia last time.

[davidinalameda]

22. I was thinking about Lincoln County as well

and Mingo and McDowell and Logan...

[awoke_in_2003]

11. now, if he could just find a way...

to stop credit card companies from pre-approving my cat :)

[Ian David]

14. You should start by switching pharmacies.

I'm guessing your veterinarian, at least once, gave you a prescription for your cat to fill at a regular pharmacy.

That seems to be the place where credit card companies get the names of pets from.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

32. Yeah,

"Murphy" the guinea pig still gets junk mail, the vet once prescribed her a topical antibiotic for which the human generic was quite inexpensive relative to the veterinarian version. Murphy passed away many years ago at the ripe old age of six, but she still gets junk mail.

There is no other possible source, she didn't get out much.

[Demeter]

12. Mr. President, About Those Zombie Banks You've Put on Life Support?

It's way past time to pull the plug.

[Iterate]

13. Ooops, you just spent that much in Iraq today before sundown.

[KamaAina]

17. Commie Muslin Obama demonstrates his hatred of the decedo-American community!

coming up next on Fox...

[Devil_Fish]

18. ummmm...... how are dead people cashing the checks? N/T

[Zynx]

19. Depending on the situation, their families might be able to.

[quakerboy]

25. Direct deposit

My GMa got her monthly check right around when she died. Dont recall if it was the day before or after. But her facility still had to be paid, the bill for the diapers delivered still showed up, etc.

The amount being talked about here could have to do with that one last check. Someone cashing a series of checks to a dead person definitely ought to be followed up on. But that last check should not be a bone of contention. Families have enough to worry about without throwing an extra 500 in unpaid bills to the death of a loved one.

[depakid]

20. Not to say this isn't a problem that needs to be addressed- but I foresee thousands of people

attempting to prove that they're not dead!

Bank on it.

[JoeyT]

28. That was my first thought too.

"But I'm not dead and they're about to evict me!"
"No, the list says you're dead so you're dead. We can't give you a check if you're dead."
"I'm standing here talking to you!"
"But you're on the list, so you're dead."

Edited to add:

[happyslug]

23. 20,000 checks over a 36 month period? That can be just the people on Social Security

Sorry, but one of the chief ways the Social Security finds out someone is dead is that person's survivors sends that person's check back. Tell the government gets that check back it has NO record of the person whose check is sent is dead.

Lets remember 20,000 Checks sent over a three year period can be the checks sent out the same month when someone dies while that person is on Social Security. Thus this actions sounds good, but will probably have no affect, by the time the people will be on the list the agencies that are sending out the checks will also know the person is dead, and stopped the checks on there own.

[Dancnkc]

24. Umm hey wait a minute

So if checks are going to dead people... How pray tell are they cashing the checks? Yes, I know people cash checks for their relatives - living or deceased. But perhaps that would be the next best place to take the free rent sign down

[happyslug]

26. Happens all the time with Social Security and other checks

Most people do NOT cash the check, the checks are returned, and then the Government finds out someone is dead (And that is the fastest way for the FEDERAL Government finds out someone is dead, for no one else has a reason to tell the Federal Government). Thus this is a report of Checks sent out, NOT checks cashed.

I remember a story of about 20 years ago, a person was found dead months after he had died, no one checked up on him and the Letter Carrier kept dropping his mail, including his monthly social security check, into the slot he used for mail. Being a slot the mail NEVER blocked the slot from opening so the Carrier saw nothing out of the ordinary, finally after about six months some of the Neighbors finally had the local Government look him up and found his body with his mail and something like six months worth of Social Security Checks. How do you prevent those checks from being sent when no one knows someone is dead? The answer is you don't and that is six months of checks out those checks sent out to dead people at that time period. I suspect similar cases occur now, in my area about 15 years ago a man was found in March after having died in October. No one checked him out for it was winter and his house was paid up to date. He never ordered any oil, for he was in a rural area, so no excessive heating bill was incurred. The local electric provider dislikes terminating electric service till spring so no one looked in on him till spring. He was NOT on Social Security so no excessive checks would have incurred but could have. Just pointing out how easy it is to have 20,000 checks over a 36 month period.

[Infinite Hope]

33. It's easy for that to happen as there's an obvious information gap. Family doesn't always inform...

interested entities of a death in the family.

[Overseas]

35. Do not spend $33 billion to kill more people

through another "emergency supplemental" funding bill for our continuation of the counterproductive wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.