To: alt.genealogy In the United States, a Social Security number (SSN) is a 9-digit number issued to citizens, permanent residents, and temporary (working) residents under section 205(c)(2) of the Social Security Act, codified as 42 U.S.C. The number is issued to an individual by the Social Security Administration, an agency of the U.S. Federal Government. Its primary purpose is to track individuals for taxation purposes. In recent years the SSN has become a de facto national identification number.[1] A social security number may be obtained by applying on Form SS-5, "Application for A Social Security Number Card" History The first SSNs were issued by the Social Security Administration in November 1936 as part of the New Deal Social Security program. By the end of 1937, over 37 million numbers had been issued. Before 1986, people often did not have a Social Security number until the age of about 14, since they were used for income tracking purposes, and those under that age seldom had substantial income. In 1986, American taxation law was altered so that individuals over 5 years old without Social Security numbers could not be successfully claimed as dependents on tax returns; by 1990 the threshold was lowered to 1 year old[3], and was later abolished altogether. Since then, parents have often applied for Social Security numbers for their children soon after birth; today, it can be done on the application for a birth certificate[4]. Social Security Cards up until the 1980s expressly stated the number and card were not to be used for identification purposes. Purpose and Use The original purpose of this number was to track individuals' accounts within the Social Security program. It has since come to be used as a unique identifier for individuals within the United States, although rare errors occur where duplicates do exist. Employee records, patient records, student records, and credit records are sometimes indexed by Social Security number. The U.S. military has used the Social Security number as an identification number for the Army and Air Force since July 1, 1969, the Navy and Marine Corps since January 1, 1972, and the Coast Guard since October 1, 1974.[5] Contrary to popular belief, there is no law requiring a U.S. citizen to apply for a Social Security number to live or work in the United States; however, it is required for parents to claim their children as tax dependents[6]. Although some people do not have an SSN assigned to them, it is becoming ever increasingly difficult to engage in legitimate financial activities without one. Federal taxpayer identification number The Internal Revenue Code provides that "[t]he social security account number issued to an individual for purposes of section 205(c)(2)(A) of the Social Security Act shall, except as shall otherwise be specified under regulations of the Secretary [of the Treasury or his delegate], be used as the identifying number for such individual for purposes of this title." Types of Social Security cards Three different types of Social Security cards are issued. The most common type contains the cardholder's name and number. Such cards are issued to U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents. There are also two restricted types of Social Security cards: * One reads "NOT VALID FOR EMPLOYMENT." Such cards cannot be used as proof of work authorization, and are not acceptable as a List C document on the I-9 form. * The other reads "VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH DHS AUTHORIZATION." These cards are issued to people who have temporary work authorization in the U.S. They can satisfy the I-9 requirement, if they are accompanied by a work authorization card. In 2004 Congress passed The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act; parts of which mandated that the Social Security Administration redesign the Social Security Number (SSN) Card to prevent forgery. From April 2006 through August, 2007, Social Security Administration (SSA) and Government Printing Office (GPO) employees were assigned to redesign the Social Security Number Card to the specifications of the Interagency Task Force created by the Commissioner of Social Security in consultation with the secretary of Homeland Security. The new SSN card design utilizes both covert and overt cutting edge security features created by the SSA and GPO design teams. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The Derby City BBS -= Allen Prunty =- telnet://derbycitybbs.com -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Where Friends Gather --- Synchronet 3.15a-Win32 NewsLink 1.85 * Derby City Online - Louisville, KY - telnet://derbycitybbs.com