In a message dated 7/25/2004 10:07:44 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Rtvorik@aol.com writes: Can someone tell me if a worker could "opt out" of participating in the Social Security program when it went into effect in 1937? I wrote to Social Security Administration and sent check for $29.00 to obtain S5 application for my grand father. They came back with negative reply that no record could be found. I believe that you had to "opt in" in the beginning it is only really recently that everyone had to have a number. Try googling something like Social Security and history Eliz