Category Archives: Social Security number

Most popular baby names for 2011

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Mother’s Day was this past weekend and, as done for 13 years now, today the Social Security Administration announced the most popular baby names of the preceding year.  

Across the nation, Jacob and Sophia are America’s most popular baby names for 2011. This is the thirteenth year in a row Jacob tops the SSA list for boys and the first year for Sophia, who moves Isabella to number two after a two-year stint at the top of the list for girls. There is only one new name in the top 10 on either list this year. Mason rocketed to number two from outside of the top ten to replace Anthony on the boys’ side. 

For all the top baby names of 2011, go to Social Security’s website, www.socialsecurity.gov. Here are the top 10 boys and girls names for 2011:

Boys:
  1. Jacob
  2. Mason
  3. William
  4. Jayden
  5. Noah
  6. Michael
  7. Ethan
  8. Alexander
  9. Aiden
  10. Daniel
   Girls:
  1. Sophia
  2. Isabella
  3. Emma
  4. Olivia
  5. Ava
  6. Emily
  7. Abigail
  8. Madison
  9. Mia
  10. Chloe

Popular culture has a large impact on baby names. Religious names are also popular. See how the popularity of different baby names has changed over time at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/OACT/babynames/.  

Popular names by State for births in 2011 will be available here on May 18. You can view the popular names for previous years now.  

An easy way to obtain a Social Security number (SSN) for your newborn is at the hospital when you provide information for his or her birth certificate. This voluntary, free, and very popular option allows a data exchange between your state and Social Security when the birth is registered. Without extra paperwork from you, state information is used to provide a SSN for your child and the card is automatically mailed to you.

If it’s not .gov, it’s not Social Security

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This week I ran across another private website offering to sell Social Security information. Of course, the Social Security Administration provides this information free. Official SSA information is online, available from the SSA national toll-free number (1-800-772-1213 / TTY 1-800-325-0778) and any SSA office. 

The official Social Security website is at www.socialsecurity.gov.  When travelling, a map is useful so that you arrive at the right place. Going online can be very much the same. Look for the “.gov” at the end of the web address —if it isn’t .gov, it isn’t the real Social Security website — www.socialsecurity.gov.

Typing “Social Security” into any search engine will get you many thousands of hits. Specific sections of the SSA official website are included in many of these. Others go to national organizations or locations espousing philosophical viewpoints about the Social Security programs. You can also find private commercial sites. Some of these for-profit sites clearly show that they have no connection but there are also those trying to make their advertisement look similar to the real Social Security website.   

Be careful about the sites visited, especially if at first glance they appear to be affiliated with Social Security. Upon closer examination, these are for-profit companies charging individuals services free from Social Security. Countless consumers nationwide are victimized each year by misleading advertisers who use “Social Security” or “Medicare” to entice the public to use their services. In many cases, these companies offer Social Security services for a fee, even though the same services are available directly from Social Security, free of charge. 

As a popular example, a quick search of “replacing a Social Security card” brings up paid advertisements for websites that charge a fee just to get a copy of the Social Security number application. While this is free from Social Security (**see below), I have spoken to numerous local people who unfortunately paid fees ranging up towards $50 for the form from one of these for-profit sites. With the form came instructions to “contact Social Security” after completing the form. 

Not just SSA forms are sold. I have seen free Social Security publications for sale by for-profit places. 

The law that deals specifically with misleading Social Security and Medicare advertising prohibits people or non-government organizations, like for-profit businesses, from using words or emblems that mislead others. Their advertising cannot lead people to believe that they represent or are somehow affiliated with or endorsed or approved by Social Security or the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (Medicare). This does not stop some advertisers from trying.  

Be careful. Do not be tricked into paying a fee for a free service or information. For official Social Security information and services go to www.socialsecurity.gov.  And remember: if it isn’t .gov, it isn’t the real Social Security website. 

** to get, replace or update the name on your Social Security card, go to the Top Services section of www.socialsecurity.gov or directly to http://www.socialsecurity.gov/ssnumber/

The most misused Social Security number of all time

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Very soon it will be April 1st, a popular day for jokes and tricks. In that spirit, today you will learn about the most misused Social Security number (SSN) of all time. However, unlike an April Fool’s Day trick, this story is true and has its start in the early days of the Social Security program.  

This story starts in 1938. To set the stage, remember that having a Social Security number (SSN) was still a relatively new idea. The original Social Security Act of 1935 authorized the creation of a record keeping system but did not expressly mention Social Security numbers.  

A 1936 Treasury regulation required the issuance of an account number to each employee covered by the Social Security program. The Social Security Board considered various numbering systems, eventually settling on an early version of Social Security number card so that employees could record their SSN and show it to employers when needed. 

Approximately 30 million applications for SSNs were processed between November 1936 and June 30, 1937. Since the Social Security Board did not have a network of field offices in late 1936, it contracted with the U.S. Postal Service to distribute and assign the first batch of Social Security numbers through its 45,000 local post offices around the country. 

As part of a product promotion, in 1938 a New York state wallet manufacturer decided to show how well the new Social Security cards fit into its wallets. A sample SSN card was inserted in each wallet for display purposes, much as wallets today often have stock photos in them. Note:  today SSA advises people not to carry Social Security number cards with them unless expecting to need it immediately.  

This sample card was only half the size of a real card, was printed all in red, and had the word “specimen” written across the face. Unfortunately, it also showed a real Social Security number, that of Mrs. Hilda Whitcher, secretary to the president of the wallet manufacturer.

Woolworth stores and other department stores all over the country sold the wallet.  Despite the different size, color and word “specimen” written on the wallet card, many purchasers of the wallet adopted the sample SSN as their own. 

How many?  A lot.  In the peak year of 1943, 5,755 people were using Mrs. Whitcher’s SSN. She was given a new number and the original number voided. To curtail its use, a Social Security campaign publicized that the number was not to be used.   

While this might have helped, it did not solve the problem and the SSN “issued by Woolworth” continued to be used for many years.  As late as 1977, twelve people still used the SSN.  In all, over 40,000 people reported Mrs. Whitcher ‘s original number as their SSN.

 What did Mrs. Whitcher have to say about all this? In later years she observed: “They started using the number. They thought it was their own. I can’t understand how people can be so stupid. I can’t understand that.”

Over time there have been over a dozen similar situations but the Whitcher case is by far the worst involving a real SSN and an actual person. 

This story is true.  Following is a photo of Mrs. Whitcher with her own SSN card and a wallet version.

Social Security appeals process

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Q: I know that an appeals process exists if someone disagrees with a Social Security disability decision. Can other topics be appealed?  

A: Yes. Definitely. Whether a person is applying for benefits or already receiving them, nearly all Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) claim decisions can be appealed. Disability related actions are a major area for appeals now but other topics can be at issue if the person disagrees with the Social Security decision.  

To state the obvious, Social Security wants to be sure that every Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) decision made is correct. Agency representatives carefully consider available information when making a decision. Some decisions are straightforward and rarely the subject of appeal while others are more subjective making them more open to disagreement and appeal. When a case decision is made, the person is sent a letter explaining it. If they do not agree, the decision can be appealed and Social Security will review the case decision again.  

A person’s age is rarely the subject of appeal today but this was different years ago. Just about everyone filing for Social Security benefits now had his or her birth registered with the state soon after birth. For people I worked with at the start of my career, this was not the case. Establishing the correct date of birth then could mean using documents including family bibles and religious records, school or federal census records, letters from midwives, and ship manifests. Depending on the documents original purpose, and who provided the information for it, some documents were considered accurate while others were not. Point here is that determination of the person’s age was a decision that could, and still can, be appealed.  

Whatever the reason for disagreement, four appeal levels exist with specific timeframes for filing an appeal. Following the original decision, the four levels of appeal are: Reconsideration, Hearing, Appeals Council Review and Federal Court. The first three are within different components of the Social Security Administration. The fourth, Federal Court, is not. More about each in the future.  

If using the SSA appeals process, it is very important to stay within the timeframes provided in your decision letter. It is also important to address your appeal to the facts of your case. Using Social Security disability for an example, say that the SSA decision letter states you do not have enough work to meet insured status requirements for disability. Your work record is then the main issue to focus on, not your medical condition.  

More in the future.

Receiving Social Security outside the United States

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Q:  Can you receive Social Security payments outside of the United States?   

A: Yes. Assuming they are otherwise eligible, United States citizens can receive Social Security payments without restriction in most, but not all, foreign countries.  

For SSA purposes, you are outside the United States if not in one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands or American Samoa. Once outside of the United States for at least 30 days in a row, you are considered to be outside the country until you return and stay in the U.S. for at least 30 days in a row.  

Benefits cannot be sent to Cuba or North Korea due to U.S. Treasury Department restrictions. Benefits can be directed to some other countries only with certain restrictions, including several that were part of the former Soviet Union. 

Rules vary if you are not a United States citizen, again assuming you remain otherwise eligible.  If not a U.S. citizen, the law requires the Social Security Administration to stop your payments after you have been outside the United States for six consecutive calendar months unless you meet one of several exceptions in the law allowing your benefits to continue. 

Most of these exceptions are based on the country of residence. Citizens of some countries can continue receiving Social Security payments no matter how long they stay outside the United States without any restrictions. Citizens of other countries have restrictions based on whether they are eligible for Social Security on their own work record or on the record of someone else. 

Medicare generally does not cover health services outside the United States. In rare cases, usually involving medical emergencies, some inpatient services in Canada or Mexico might be covered. See www.medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) for more information. TTY users can call Medicare at 1-877-486-2048. 

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is not paid if you leave the United States. 

Read Your Payments While You Are Outside the United States (SSA publication 05-10137) if you receive Social Security and plan to be outside of the United States for an extended period. Contact Social Security in advance to continue benefits. 

Social Security eligibility is based on work, not citizenship, but usually only noncitizens who have permission to work from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) can apply for a Social Security number.  

U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizens living outside of the United States can file for SSA benefits by contacting the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. Canadian residents can contact Social Security offices based on their Canadian Province of residence. For example, residents of Manitoba contact the SSA office in Grand Forks ND, residents of Saskatchewan contact the SSA office in Minot ND, and residents of the county of Thunder Bay, Ontario, contact the SSA office in Duluth MN.

More information is at the Social Security Office of International Operations webpage: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/foreign/

One Social Security number is the norm

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Q:   Can I change my Social Security number?     

A:   Social Security generally assigns a person only one Social Security number (SSN).   Your number records your individual earnings in order to determine future benefits and, eventually, to track benefits paid on your Social Security record.   One SSN per person is very understandable in this context.  

Since Social Security numbers are used for a wider purpose than just maintaining your work record, limited circumstances exist for issuing a new SSN.    This is a rare event, primarily done when the existing, original, number is connected to very serious problems in a person’s life.  Two potential situations for issuing a new SSN are when a victim of identity theft continues to be disadvantaged by using the original number or in situations of harassment with abuse or life endangerment including domestic violence.    

Obtaining a new Social Security number does not delete or make the original SSN completely disappear.  Within Social Security records, the original number remains assigned to the person and the new number is cross-referred to the original number. 

In addition, Social Security cannot update the records of other agencies and organizations, such as credit bureaus, the Internal Revenue Service, schools, the department of motor vehicles, medical facilities and financial institutions, which identify you with your original number. 

Using a new number does not ensure that some other organization, such as one of the above ones, will not combine records from your old number with your new number. 

Over the years of my career, I can recall personal knowledge of only two cases where a new Social Security number was issued so, while not impossible, it is uncommon.

 

Business Services Online webinar series now available

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The third Social Security Business Services Online (BSO) webinar is online and can be viewed anytime at your convenience.   Broadcast on January 12, 2012 , this final webinar of the three part series provided step-by-step instructions for electronic W-2 wage reporting.   

The  “Business Services Online (BSO): The Joy of Using BSO” series is now complete.   All three webinars can be viewed for free at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/webinars/bso.html.  

Part I, taught the BSO registration process and Part II showed how to use the Social Security Number Verification Service (SSNVS).  Part III covered:

  • The advantages of Online W-2 and W-3 Filing,
  • How to report wages to Social Security, create and resume Forms W-2 and W-3 online,
  • How to process up to 50 W-2s and receive immediate feedback if the names and Social Security numbers do not match, and
  • How to download submitted reports.

More Business Services Online information is at www.ssa.gov/bso/bsowelcome.htm and www.socialsecurity.gov/employer.  You can still register and use BSO for 2011 W-2 reporting.

The current edition of W-2 News, the electronic newsletter for employers who submit W-2s to Social Security, is at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/employer/w2news.

What’s your name?

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Q:  I am getting married later this year and have not decided yet whether to change my name or not. While I like the idea of sharing my future husband’s name, my professional identity is well established so I might not make any change.  As a compromise, I might hyphenate both names together.  For Social Security purposes, does it matter what name I eventually decide on?

A:  While the name you decide to use is up to you, the name on your Social Security number (SSN) card definitely matters.  The primary purpose of your Social Security number is as the way to keep accurate track of your earnings to ensure that you and your family get all the Social Security retirement, disability, and survivors coverage you are entitled to.    

Your name on your Social Security card should be the same name that you will use for work.  If you continue to use your existing name consistently throughout your working years, there is no need to contact Social Security.  However, if you decide to change your name, whether completely or to a hyphenated version, definitely change your Social Security number card to match your new work name. 

You receive a SSN card with your correct name when Social Security records are updated.  Once received, remember to have your employer update payroll records to show your new name.  Have your employer report your earnings to Social Security using exactly the same name as on your SSN card. 

A secondary concern is that any Federal income tax refund due you could be delayed if Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Social Security records do not show the same name and Social Security number.

Correcting your name with Social Security is quick, easy, and free.  Follow the “Get or replace a Social Security card” link from the TOP SERVICES section of www.socialsecurity.gov.  A simple decision path provides instructions.

As you would expect, evidence to correct your name includes a recently issued document as proof of your legal name change.  Examples of documents Social Security can use include a marriage certificate, divorce decree, Certificate of Naturalization showing a new name or court order for a name change.  Your documents are returned. 

Download and complete the application (Form SS-5) and bring or mail it with needed evidence to Social Security.   Local SSA offices handle this work in most of the country.  In some areas, including around the Twin Cities, special SSN card centers are set up.  Website instructions provide the correct location based on your zip code. 

 

Third Business Services Online webinar announced – Register now

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Details about the third Social Security Business Services Online (BSO) webinar are available.   

Scheduled for Thursday, January 12, 2012 at 1:00pm eastern time, this free session will provide step-by-step instructions for electronic W-2 wage reporting.   Register to participate at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/webinars/.

This will conclude the current “Business Services Online (BSO): The Joy of Using BSO” series.  In Part I, you learned the BSO registration process.  Part II provided you with step-by-step instructions for using the Social Security Number Verification Service (SSNVS).  In Part III, you will learn:

  • The advantages of Online W-2 and W-3 Filing,
  • How to report wages to Social Security, create and resume Forms W-2 and W-3 online,
  • How to process up to 50 W-2s and receive immediate feedback if the names and Social Security numbers do not match, and
  • How to download submitted reports.

Including a later deadline for filing W-2 information, incentives exist for employers using Social Security Business Services Online.  Firms providing payroll services can register once and then use BSO to file W-2 information for all clients.  For more information about BSO, go to www.ssa.gov/bso/bsowelcome.htm and www.socialsecurity.gov/employer.

All three webcasts will be available for viewing at www.socialsecurity.gov/webinars after the January 12th broadcast. 

 

Do the numbers on my Social Security card mean anything?

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Q:   Do the numbers on my Social Security card mean anything?

A:   Part of the Social Security number (SSN) indicated an area of the country.  This ended for original numbers issued starting with June 25, 2011.

The nine-digit Social Security number (SSN) has three parts:

  • the first three digits are the area number
  • the second set of two digits is called the group number
  • the final set of four digits is the serial number

Up to 1972, local Social Security offices around the country assigned SSN’s.  Until then the three-digit area number reflected the state where the card was issued. 

In 1972, the Social Security Administration started to issue original numbers centrally.  Then the person’s mailing address determined the area number.  Generally, numbers on the east coast were lower and those on the west coast higher. 

The middle two digits break the number into conveniently sized blocks.  The last four digits are a straight numerical sequence of digits from 0001-9999 within the group.   They have no other meaning.

Remember that the entire process was completed manually when the first Social Security numbers were issued.  This nine-digit system was an internal bookkeeping method to make storage of all those paper records easier.

To help protect Social Security number security and to make more SSN’s available in every state, a new way of issuing original SSN’s started on June 25, 2011.  Called SSN Randomization, the new process ended any geographical significance of the first three digits of the SSN.  Area numbers are now random and do not reflect any specific state or geographical area.

Over time, this change will help protect an individual’s Social Security number against fraud and identity theft by making it more difficult to figure out an SSN using public information. 

Randomization applies only to original Social Security numbers.  It will not change the number that anyone already has and it will not change the existing nine-digit format.