I wonder when people were required to get Social Security numbers. I have a relative born in 1899. He got his first full time job with a newspaper in Iowa in 1920. After 4 years he moved to Tennessee where he worked as an advertising manager for a newspaper for 10 years. Then in 1935 he went to work for a newspaper in Texas. His Social Security number was issued in Texas-by then he would have been at least 36. Didn't people need SSNs before 1935 or were certain jobs exempt? John

jburns wrote: > I wonder when people were required to get Social Security numbers. I > have a relative born in 1899. He got his first full time job with a > newspaper in Iowa in 1920. After 4 years he moved to Tennessee where he > worked as an advertising manager for a newspaper for 10 years. Then in > 1935 he went to work for a newspaper in Texas. His Social Security > number was issued in Texas-by then he would have been at least 36. > Didn't people need SSNs before 1935 or were certain jobs exempt? > John From the Social Security wwb page, frequently asked questions: Q1: When did Social Security start? A: The Social Security Act was signed by FDR on 8/14/35. Taxes were collected for the first time in January 1937 and the first one-time, lump-sum payments were made that same month. Regular ongoing monthly benefits started in January 1940. Google can be your friend. Allen

Thanks Allen. I thought it had started much earlier. John "jburns" <johnburns@telus.net> wrote in message news:Tfxmj.28528$yQ1.27455@edtnps89... >I wonder when people were required to get Social Security numbers. I have a >relative born in 1899. He got his first full time job with a newspaper in >Iowa in 1920. After 4 years he moved to Tennessee where he worked as an >advertising manager for a newspaper for 10 years. Then in 1935 he went to >work for a newspaper in Texas. His Social Security number was issued in >Texas-by then he would have been at least 36. Didn't people need SSNs >before 1935 or were certain jobs exempt? > John

"jburns" <johnburns@telus.net> wrote in news:xeymj.28555$yQ1.2144@edtnps89: > Thanks Allen. I thought it had started much earlier. No, it was part of F.D.R.'S "New Deal," but it took some time to get it through Congress. -- }:-) Christopher Jahn {:-( http://soflatheatre.blogspot.com/ It is more important that a proposition be interesting than that it be true. (Alfred North Whitehead)

"jburns" <johnburns@telus.net> wrote in message news:Tfxmj.28528$yQ1.27455@edtnps89... | I wonder when people were required to get Social Security numbers. I have a | relative born in 1899. He got his first full time job with a newspaper in | Iowa in 1920. After 4 years he moved to Tennessee where he worked as an | advertising manager for a newspaper for 10 years. Then in 1935 he went to | work for a newspaper in Texas. His Social Security number was issued in | Texas-by then he would have been at least 36. Didn't people need SSNs before | 1935 or were certain jobs exempt? | John | Started with FDR's regime, as was noted by others. Professional people, those who were self-employed, farmers and farm laborers, and certain others were exempt initially, but gradually were required to have a SSN. I think that today there are no exemptions. You can't get a bank account without a SSN. I have been told (but don't know for fact) that hospitals now send in registrations for SSNs for new-borns. Henry Brownlee Houma, Louisiana PS I had to get one in Mississippi before my teens (more than a couple of years ago) in order to help out in a seafood restaurant my mother managed one summer in Biloxi. (I was not allowed to serve beer due to my age.)