The government's own receipt
The ledger
Every year, federal agencies have to measure how much they paid in the wrong amount, to the wrong person, or without the paperwork to prove it was right. They report it to the White House budget office, which publishes one spreadsheet. We read every row. Here it is.
22 years
Paid wrong, year by year
Improper and unverifiable payments reported each fiscal year, all programs combined. The total through 2024 — $2.80 trillion — matches the roughly $2.8 trillion GAO reports. Fiscal 2025 takes it to $2.98 trillion.
Source: PaymentAccuracy.gov FY2025 dataset, "All Program Results," column "Improper Payment and Unknown Payment Amount," summed by fiscal year. Programs reporting each year range from 27 to 122.
Root causes, FY2025
Why it happened
Each program has to say why its payments went wrong, using categories the White House budget office defines. Two-thirds of the money went out wrong even though the information to stop it existed and the agency could get to it.
Category definitions: OMB M-21-19, Table 3. Amounts: FY2025 dataset, "Improper Payment Root Causes," summed by FraudBad (total $185.8B).
64 programs
Every program that reported, fiscal 2025
Ranked by dollars paid wrong or without proof. "Rate" is the share of the program's payments. The last column is the same program's rate a year earlier.
| # | Program | Paid out | Wrong or unproven | Rate | FY2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) - MedicaidHealth and Human Services | $611.0B | $37.4B | 6.1% | 5.1% |
| 2 | Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) - Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS)Health and Human Services | $439.9B | $28.8B | 6.6% | 7.7% |
| 3 | Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) - Medicare Advantage (Part C)Health and Human Services | $388.7B | $23.7B | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 4 | Internal Revenue Service - Earned Income Tax CreditTreasury | $64.7B | $21.1B | 32.7% | 27.3% |
| 5 | Supplemental Nutrition Assistance ProgramAgriculture | $93.5B | $10.2B | 10.9% | 11.7% |
| 6 | Shuttered Venue Operators Grant ProgramSmall Business Administration | $14.6B | $10.1B | 68.9% | — |
| 7 | Supplemental Security Income (SSI)Social Security | $63.3B | $7.33B | 11.6% | 10.6% |
| 8 | Employment & Training Administration - Federal State Unemployment InsuranceLabor | $37.7B | $5.60B | 14.9% | 15.9% |
| 9 | Internal Revenue Service - Additional Child Tax CreditTreasury | $33.4B | $4.55B | 13.6% | 10.7% |
| 10 | Housing - Rental Housing Assistance Program (RHAP) - Project Based Rental Assistance - Project Based Section 8 - Rental Housing Assistance Program- Section 236 - Housing for Persons with Disability- Section 811Housing and Urban Development | $16.5B | $4.35B | 26.4% | 0.3% |
| 11 | Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) - Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit (Part D)Health and Human Services | $105.6B | $4.23B | 4.0% | 3.7% |
| 12 | Federal Highway Administration Highway Planning and ConstructionTransportation | $61.8B | $2.39B | 3.9% | 2.0% |
| 13 | CompensationVeterans Affairs | $157.5B | $2.35B | 1.5% | — |
| 14 | Disability Insurance (DI)Social Security | $143.4B | $2.34B | 1.6% | — |
| 15 | 7(a) Loan Guarantees ApprovalsSmall Business Administration | $26.6B | $1.63B | 6.1% | 5.4% |
| 16 | Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI)Social Security | $1,287.5B | $1.62B | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| 17 | Internal Revenue Service - American Opportunity Tax CreditTreasury | $5.01B | $1.54B | 30.7% | 27.7% |
| 18 | Public and Indian Housing - Rental Housing Assistance Program (RHAP) - Tenant Based Rental Assistance Section 8 - Housing Certificate Fund & Tenant Based Rental AssistanceHousing and Urban Development | $34.0B | $1.48B | 4.4% | — |
| 19 | National School Lunch ProgramAgriculture | $19.9B | $1.39B | 7.0% | 7.4% |
| 20 | Commercial Pay – Mechanization of Contract Administration Services (MOCAS)Defense (War) | $225.0B | $1.39B | 0.6% | 0.0% |
| 21 | Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) - Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)Health and Human Services | $19.4B | $1.37B | 7.1% | 6.1% |
| 22 | Administration for Children and Families (ACF) - Head StartHealth and Human Services | $11.7B | $1.21B | 10.3% | 12.0% |
| 23 | Administration for Children and Families (ACF) - Child Care and Development FundHealth and Human Services | $18.7B | $921M | 4.9% | 4.9% |
| 24 | William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan ProgramEducation | $90.2B | $893M | 1.0% | 0.9% |
| 25 | Internal Revenue Service - Refundable Premium Assistance Tax CreditTreasury | $2.62B | $829M | 31.6% | 28.5% |
| 26 | Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC)Agriculture | $22.9B | $755M | 3.3% | 2.4% |
| 27 | Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) - Advance Premium Tax Credit (APTC)Health and Human Services | $73.8B | $657M | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| 28 | VA Community CareVeterans Affairs | $25.4B | $608M | 2.4% | 1.9% |
| 29 | Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Child and Adult Care Food ProgramAgriculture | $4.25B | $446M | 10.5% | — |
| 30 | School Breakfast ProgramAgriculture | $5.91B | $428M | 7.2% | 7.6% |
| 31 | Federal Pell Grant ProgramEducation | $39.9B | $427M | 1.1% | 2.6% |
| 32 | Federal Retirement ServicesPersonnel Management | $109.4B | $378M | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| 33 | PensionVeterans Affairs | $3.55B | $354M | 10.0% | 13.9% |
| 34 | Purchased Long Term Services and SupportsVeterans Affairs | $7.33B | $347M | 4.7% | 13.5% |
| 35 | 504 Certified Development Loans ApprovalsSmall Business Administration | $7.39B | $338M | 4.6% | 4.5% |
| 36 | Travel Pay Army – Defense Travel System (DTS)Defense (War) | $2.53B | $285M | 11.2% | 8.6% |
| 37 | Federal Emergency Management Agency - Public Assistance - Validate as You GoHomeland Security | $21.3B | $260M | 1.2% | 3.9% |
| 38 | Travel Pay Department of Air Force (DAF) – Defense Travel System (DTS)Defense (War) | $2.56B | $194M | 7.6% | 9.7% |
| 39 | Civilian Pay – Other Defense Organization (ODO)Defense (War) | $11.1B | $192M | 1.7% | 4.6% |
| 40 | Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan Guaranty PurchasesSmall Business Administration | $1.40B | $186M | 13.3% | 24.7% |
| 41 | Disaster Assistance LoansSmall Business Administration | $3.22B | $157M | 4.9% | 3.6% |
| 42 | Beneficiary TravelVeterans Affairs | $2.05B | $156M | 7.6% | 8.1% |
| 43 | Office of Workers' Compensation - Federal Employees' Compensation ActLabor | $3.95B | $110M | 2.8% | 2.3% |
| 44 | Federal Employees Health Benefits - Experience Rated CarriersPersonnel Management | $67.2B | $95M | 0.1% | — |
| 45 | Medical Care Contracts and AgreementsVeterans Affairs | $1.33B | $85M | 6.4% | 2.3% |
| 46 | Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Livestock Forage Disaster ProgramAgriculture | $1.20B | $77M | 6.4% | 12.9% |
| 47 | Universal Service Fund – LifelineFCC | $830M | $76M | 9.1% | 6.0% |
| 48 | Administration for Children and Families (ACF) - Foster Care Title IV-EHealth and Human Services | $1.29B | $74M | 5.7% | 4.8% |
| 49 | Emergency Conservation ProgramAgriculture | $133M | $74M | 55.5% | 45.2% |
| 50 | Universal Service Fund - High Cost LegacyFCC | $1.91B | $62M | 3.3% | 4.5% |
| 51 | Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan ForgivenessSmall Business Administration | $304M | $58M | 19.2% | 25.2% |
| 52 | Travel Pay Other Defense Organization (ODO) – Defense Travel System (DTS)Defense (War) | $415M | $46M | 11.0% | — |
| 53 | Section 1112 Payments for SBA’s business loan programsSmall Business Administration | $10.6B | $36M | 0.3% | — |
| 54 | AmeriCorps State and NationalAmeriCorps | $384M | $34M | 8.8% | 8.2% |
| 55 | 7(a) Loan Guarantees PurchasesSmall Business Administration | $2.12B | $32M | 1.5% | 5.3% |
| 56 | Supplies and MaterialsVeterans Affairs | $3.94B | $24M | 0.6% | 7.6% |
| 57 | The Foster Grandparent Program (FGP)AmeriCorps | $94M | $22M | 23.6% | 17.6% |
| 58 | Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance ProgramAgriculture | $186M | $20M | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| 59 | Agriculture Risk/Price Loss Coverage ProgramAgriculture | $278M | $19M | 6.7% | 12.8% |
| 60 | Federal Emergency Management Agency - Funeral AssistanceHomeland Security | $301M | $13M | 4.3% | 3.5% |
| 61 | Federal Transit Administration Transit Infrastructure Grants - COVID Relief FundsTransportation | $5.28B | $8M | 0.2% | 1.6% |
| 62 | Education Stabilization FundEducation | $55.6B | $2M | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 63 | Travel Pay Other Defense Organization (ODO) – Integrated Automated Travel System (IATS)Defense (War) | $15M | $2M | 13.1% | — |
| 64 | Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Procurement, Construction, and Improvements - Disaster Supplemental FundsHomeland Security | $16M | <$1M | 0.2% | — |
Source: FY2025 dataset, "All Program Results," fiscal year 2025 rows. Includes improper payments and "unknown" payments the agency couldn't verify. Not all of it is fraud; each agency's own report explains its number.
Clawbacks
How much comes back
Overpayments agencies flagged to recover each year (full bar), and what they actually recovered (red). Recoveries in a year can include money flagged in earlier years.
Source: FY2025 dataset, "Rate and Amt of Recovery," summed across agencies by FraudBad.
The law
15 of 63 agencies broke it
The Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019 requires agencies to measure improper payments, publish them and cut them. Inspectors general check every year. For fiscal 2024, these agencies were rated non-compliant: AmeriCorps, Labor, Defense (War), Election Assistance Commission, EPA, FCC, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Personnel Management, Small Business Administration, Social Security, Selective Service, Treasury, Agriculture, Veterans Affairs.
Source: FY2025 dataset, "Compliance Trend Table," fiscal 2024 column. Fiscal 2025 ratings come out in 2026's dataset.
Not in the total
Programs that didn't report
- Administration for Children and Families (ACF) - Temporary Assistance for Needy FamiliesDepartment of Health and Human Services
- Civilian Pay – ArmyDepartment of War
- Military Pay Army – National GuardDepartment of War
- Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)Department of Agriculture
- Departmental Offices - Emergency Rental AssistanceDepartment of the Treasury
- Internal Revenue Service - US Coronavirus PaymentsDepartment of the Treasury
- Internal Revenue Service - US Coronavirus Refundable CreditsDepartment of the Treasury
Listed as "Did not report" for FY2025 on PaymentAccuracy.gov. Their errors aren't in any number above.