The Treasury announced today that its Do Not Pay (DNP) system has prevented more than 4,900 payments totaling $99 million from going to deceased payees since March 2025, fulfilling a key requirement of the Trump administration’s executive order to expand the tool’s use as part of its war on fraud.

The Cato Institute’s Romina Boccia is available for comment, and issued the following statement:

“Preventing $99 million in payment errors is an encouraging start and a win for taxpayers, but it also highlights how much more remains to be done when the federal government reported $186 billion in improper payments last year.”

“Despite the Do No Pay system’s successful track record, only 4 percent of eligible federal programs fully make use of it. Expanding Do Not Pay and improving its data access would help shift government from issuing payments first and asking questions later to preventing improper payments before taxpayer dollars leave the Treasury.”

Recent analysis from Romina on this topic is available here and here, and if you would like to speak with her about this or related issues, I’m happy to connect you.