The Associated Press headlines: 72,000 stimulus payments went to dead people.
More than 89,000 stimulus payments of $250 each went to people who were either dead or in prison, a government investigator says in a new report.
The payments, which were part of last year’s massive economic recovery package, were meant to increase consumer spending to help stimulate the economy.
But about $18 million went to nearly 72,000 people who were dead, according to the report by the Social Security Administration’s inspector general.
Actually, I would rather have the government send money to dead people than prison inmates. But seriously, is this what the Democrats mean by “targeted” stimulus spending?
Apparently half or more of the payments that went to the deceased were returned, but that was only because of the honesty of their heirs:
Dead people were ineligible to get the payments. But, the report said, there is no provision in the law to recover payments incorrectly sent to dead people.
As for the inmates, they evidently were able to keep the $250. Presumably they will use it to stimulate the economy if and when they are released. The AP report concludes:
The inspector general’s report said that if similar payments are authorized in the future, prison inmates should be ineligible and the government should be able to recover payments made to dead people.
If they really cared about your money, they would think about such things before they send out the checks.
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