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GAO-25-107753 1 (2025-03-11)

handle is hein.gao/gaornc0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Why This Matters Key Takeaways Improper payments-those that should not have been made or were made in the incorrect amount-have consistently been a government-wide issue. Since fiscal year 2003, cumulative improper payment estimates by executive branch agencies have totaled about $2.8 trillion, and the actual amount of improper payments may be significantly higher. Reducing improper payments is critical to safeguarding federal funds. The Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019 (PIIA) requires agencies to manage improper payments by identifying risks, taking corrective actions, and estimating and reporting on improper payments in programs they administer. PIIA also requires each agency's inspector general (IG) to issue an annual report on compliance with applicable PIIA criteria. We have reported on improper payments in our audit reports on the U.S. government's consolidated financial statements since fiscal year 1997, and we have found that these payments represent a material deficiency or weakness in internal controls. Specifically, we have noted that the federal government is unable to determine the full extent of its improper payments or to reasonably assure that it takes appropriate actions to reduce them. House Report 117-389, which accompanied the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2023, includes a provision for GAO to provide quarterly reports on improper payments. This is our ninth such report, and it provides an overview of federal agencies' improper payment estimates for fiscal year 2024. Additionally, we discuss agencies' compliance with requirements for reporting and managing improper payments in fiscal year 2023. * In fiscal year 2024, federal agencies' estimates totaled about $162 billion in improper payments, a decrease of about $74 billion from the prior fiscal year. The reduction in estimated improper payments is largely attributable to the termination or winding down of certain COVID-19 programs. About $135 billion (approximately 84 percent) of the estimates represent overpayments. * The improper payment estimates do not represent the full extent of government-wide improper payments. The total of fiscal year 2024 improper payment estimates represent a small subset of all federal programs. For example, some programs that agencies have determined are susceptible to significant improper payments, such as the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), do not estimate improper payments. In addition, IGs have reported that agencies' improper payment estimates are unreliable for some programs. Page 1 GAO-25-1 07753 Improper Payments Page 1 GAO-25-107753 Improper Payments

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