Overpayments to welfare, Medicare recipients surged in fiscal 2025 to $186 billion: GAO report

The federal government overpaid recipients of welfare and social services by $186 billion in fiscal 2025, according to a new Government Accountability Office analysis.

This was an increase of $24 billion over the previous fiscal year, the according to the New York Post. 

The overpayments involved 15 federal agencies paying benefits through 64 programs, with about 82% of the overages being the result of overpayments. 

Medicare programs accounted for $57 billion of the overpayments – $37 billion in Medicaid mistakes and $21 billion in Earned Income Tax Credit payments to people who weren't qualified to receive the credit, the analysis found. 

Recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits accounted for $10 billion of the overpayments.