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How Social Security Numbers are Assigned

Learn how Social Security Numbers are assigned

How Are Social Security Numbers Assigned?

This article aims to help you understand how Social Security Numbers are assigned. In 2011, the Social Security Administration (SSA) changed how they assign Social Security Numbers (SSNs). The new method uses a process called “randomization” to assign SSNs.

The Administration developed a new method to help protect the SSN’s integrity and extend the nine-digit SSN’s longevity (instead of adding additional digits).

SSN Randomization changes the assignment process in several ways. First, it eliminates the geographical importance of the first three digits. Also, the new randomization process eliminates the significance of the highest group number.

As a result, the High Group List is frozen in time and can only be used to see the area and group numbers SSA issued before the randomization implementation date.

Overview of Social Security Numbers

A Social Security number is issued to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and temporary workers in the United States. The number is issued to an individual by the SSA, an agency of the federal government .

Its primary purpose is to track working individuals for taxation purposes and Social Security benefits. Since it was initially introduced, the SSN has become the primary national identification number, even though it was not originally intended to be used as a form of identification.

Since 1972, numbers have been issued by the central office. The first three (3) digits of a person’s social security number are determined by the ZIP Code of the mailing address shown on the application for a social security number.

Previously, before 1972, social security numbers were assigned by SSA field offices. The number merely established that his/her card was issued by one of the SSA offices in that State.

Randomization

In 2011, the SSA changed the assignment process to a process known as SSN randomization. This process eliminates the geographical significance of the number’s first three digits. Below is an explanation of how the numbers were assigned under the old system that was in effect before 2011 .

Social Security Number – Area Group Serial

The Social Security number consists of nine (9) digits, usually written in the format – 1 2 3 – 4 5 – 6 7 8 9. The first three digits of a social security number denote the area (or State) where the original Social Security number application was filed.

Each area’s group number (middle two (2) digits) ranges from 01 to 99 but is not assigned in consecutive order. For administrative reasons, group numbers issued first consist of the ODD numbers from 01 through 09 and then EVEN numbers from 10 through 98, within each area number allocated to a State.

After all numbers in group 98 of a particular area have been issued, the EVEN Groups 02 through 08 are used, followed by ODD Groups 11 through 99.

Within each group, the serial numbers (last four (4) digits) run consecutively from 0001 through 9999.

The chart below shows how Group numbers are assigned:

  • ODD – 01, 03, 05, 07, 09——EVEN – 10 to 98
  • EVEN – 02, 04, 06, 08——ODD – 11 to 99

List of Social Security Number Prefixes for Each State

Following is a list of social security number prefixes for each state. The listing is organized in ascending order based on the SSN prefix, with the corresponding issuing state listed. Remember, these apply only to numbers issued before 2011 under the old system.

SSN Prefix = Issuing State

001-003 = New Hampshire 004-007 = Maine 008-009 = Vermont 010-034 = Massachusetts 035-039 = Rhode Island 040-049 = Connecticut 050-134 = New York 135-158 = New Jersey 159-211 = Pennsylvania 212-220 = Maryland 211-222 = Delaware 223-231 = Virginia 232 = North Carolina 232 = West Virginia 233-236 = West Virginia 237-246 = North Carolina 247-251 = South Carolina 252-260 = Georgia 261-267 = Florida (Also 589-595) 268-302 = Ohio 303-317 = Indiana 318-361 = Illinois 362-386 = Michigan 387-399 = Wisconsin 400-407 = Kentucky 408-415 = Tennessee 416-424 = Alabama 425-428 = Mississippi 429-432 = Arkansas 433-439 = Louisiana 440-448 =Oklahoma 449-467 = Texas 468-477 = Minnesota

478 – 485 = Iowa 486 – 500 = Missouri 501 – 502 = North Dakota 503 – 504 = South Dakota 505 – 508 = Nebraska 509 – 515 = Kansas 516 – 517 = Montana 518 – 519 = Idaho 520 = Wyoming 521 – 524 = Colorado 525 = New Mexico 526 = Arizona 526 = New Mexico 527 = Arizona 528 – 529 = Utah 530 = Nevada 531 – 539 = Washington 540 – 544 = Oregon 545-573 = California 574 = Alaska 575-576 = Hawaii 577-579 = District of Columbia 580 = Virgin Islands 580-584 = Puerto Rico 585 = New Mexico 586 = Guam & American Samoa 586 = All Other Pacific Territories 587-588 = Mississippi 589-595 = Florida (also 261-267) 600-601 = Arizona (designated) 602-626 = California (designated) 700-728 = Railroad Retirement 729-999 = Not used until randomization was introduced.

Note: The number 666 has never been used and will not be used in the future.

Please post a comment below if you are aware of any new number ranges.

SSN Requirements

No law directly requires a natural-born United States citizen to apply for a Social Security number to live or work in the United States. However, some people still live without a number because they view it as a voluntary government program. Those who don’t get a number find it difficult to engage in ordinary acts of commerce or banking activities because they can’t provide an SSN.

Additional Resources

If you want to learn more about the process, visit the  Social Security Administration website. On the website, you can:

  • Get more information on how numbers are assigned and the randomization process
  • Find the offices near you and get directions using the office locator. Just enter your zip code.
  • Learn how to get cards and how to request replacement cards

Questions and Comments

If you have any questions, please post a comment below.

38 COMMENTS

What does a Social Security beginning with 200-75-XXXX indicate? I really didn’t understand the middle number, but I believe the first 3 numbers indicate under the old system that the number was applied for in PA.

I didn’t know the numbers were randomized rather than regionalized which makes a lot of sense. I’m a 370 from Michigan. Odd question… why is the prefix 666 unavailable? It’s just a number. I understand it’s Christian significance but it is only a series of digits and this is not a “Christian” domain. I am actually, but my faith is mine not someone else’s concern. The relevance of that number is from The New Testament (St. John’s Revelation)… and that is not fully explained or understood.

i need my grandfathers ssn because he has passed recently and ppl are still calling to collect nothing but they dont believe me they want his number how can i get it

If you are a family member, then you need to look at the DEATH CERTIFICATE. The social security number will be on it. Contact the funeral home, they will have a copy in their files. If you dont; know who handled the service, contact the cemetary, their records should show who the funeral director was. WARNING, if you are not a DIRECT family member no one will give you a copy or any information.

Is a SSN that has the first 5 digits all matching valid? I came across one on a client’s paperwork that had all the same number in the first 5 places. Only the last 4 were different.

I can’t say whether or not the numbers in your particular case are valid, but it would have been possible under the “old” system of issuing numbers. The first three numbers are based don’t the geographic area. The next two numbers are the group numbers, and those numbers are allocated to particular areas within a state.

You say that 729-999 are not in use, but my wife has a SSN that starts with 881. She is from France and got a green card in 2012, and that was the prefix assigned.

Then she got her SSN after June 25, 2011 when they started using random numbers.

Can a person’s prefix be different from the state the were born in? My prefix suggests I was born in Washington, but I was not.

Can group numbers be used to narrow down a location within a state (prior to randomization)?

It is difficult to find official information on the specific manner in which the numbers were issued. However, the group numbers weren’t based on a geographical area. The group numbers were determined by the sequential order in which they were assigned.

With the advent of some financial institutions wishing to make you give them the last six or your social security number, it seems as though they do not understand nor does the government understand the sanctity that should be afforded Social Security identification numbers. With crooks having access to screaming fast computers today, it really is not much of a problem with a nine-digit password to eventually obtain it by searching. And it makes it much easier with the last four that the majority of institutions require for identification. However, with the last six, you might as well just give them the entire number and see your personal security go down the tube. This should be a top priority of our government to band the use of any more numbers being given out to anybody for identification.

Are there duplicates of the last four digits?

Yes. There are social security numbers that have the last four digits that match.

Are SSN’s for noncitizens coded to shos they are not citjzens?

I believe the SSA assigns the numbers using the randomization process that was put in place in 2011. So, they shouldn’t be coded to identify that an individual is a non-citizen. Check the SSA.gov website for more information.

I’m wondering the same thing,

Please remember: the SSN is assigned based on the address provided on the application submitted to the Social Security Administration. This address is supposed to be the applicant’s permanent address. If you have a question, you should contact the Social Security Administration. >>> ASSIGNMENT METHODOLOGY USED STARTING JUNE 26, 2011 <<< The U.S. SSN (Social Security Number) is assigned RANDOMLY. However, the methodology is not public knowledge.

Concerning? I was noting my son’s ssn this year while gathering tax information, and it starts with 881. My concern is that it won’t be valid when he goes to work- as it says numbers starting with 729-999 = Currently not in use???? What could have happened?

It was randomized near the year 1972 because some areas ran out of numbers.

I am a Veteran living in the Houston, Texas area and am enrolled in VA Healthcare. I have recently discovered, when checking in at the DeBakey VA Hospital in Houston, that their VA computer shows that there are 3 Veterans in their system, including myself, that have the same exact last name and the same exact last 4 numbers of their SSN. Should I be concerned?

We’re not in a position to interpret whether it is something that should be of concern. However, it may be something that you should inquire about with VA Healthcare. It is possible that you may have multiple accounts within their system. The records that you see with the same last name and same last four numbers of the SSN may all be referring to you. You may want to give them a call to get more information.

Here it said that the 800 are not in use . 800 are good numbers or bugs number please advice

The SSA changed the way they issue social security numbers, so numbers beginning with 800 are certainly possible.

Both my kids born 2004 & 2009 are 766 and it’s now required to file for them at birth to which they were born in FL but it says the 766 aren’t in use yet when they have been in use for at least 15years now. Strange.

I was born in S.C. but the first 3 digits show it came from Arkansas

I live in NE. Everyone in my family and my first born all start with the 505, 508. This past year I had a baby. His SSN starts with 358. Why is this?

your would indicate you and your family was born in Nebraska, But your sons would indicate he was born in Illinois, so if he wasn’t that is strange, better check into so he don’t have problems later in life with his number

its not where you were born that determines the number, it is the state where the application for an original Social Security number was filed. In my case, I didn’t file till I was 13 and had moved multiple times.

The numbers are now picked at random & are not picked by state. The first three numbers of your baby’s ssn have nothing to do with his state of birth or the state in which his ssn was applied for. Since 2011, the Social Security Administration has been assigning SSNs by randomization. This process eliminates the geographical significance of the first 3 numbers.

I was born in 1980 so my social security number should be from the state I was born in since the change was not started till 2011 where your social security number is pick random

My daughter was born in Connecticut it was issued a social security number while living in Connecticut but she has a New York social security number

I was born in Georgia and I have a New York number. My cousin was born the same month and in the same hospital as me and she has a Georgia number. What could be the reason?

I have an FL ssn and i wasnt born in FL accoding to my birth certificate.

I was born in Alabama, but my SSN was issued at about age 8 (this was many years ago) while living in North Dakota. Therefore, I have a North Dakota SSN.

i have a question it says the 1st 3 numbers say where one was born i have 149 the list says that is the number for new Jersey and i was born in Oklahoma. why?

The first three numbers actually represent the geographic area where the social security number was issued, rather than where a person was born.

In 2011 the first 3 of 808 was used. Every where I have seen says it isn’t, but it was given to my child.

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Why We Assign Social Security Numbers at Birth

Social Security numbers are now a necessity, even for young children.

Why We Sign Up for Social Security at Birth

Jacob and Isabella were the most popular names given to newborn boys and girls in the United States in 2010, according to Social Security card application data released yesterday. Each name made up just over 1 percent of all births reported to the Social Security Administration last year.

[See Social Security Ends Paper Checks .]

Names tend to top the list for several years before they are displaced by a newly trendy name. In the 1990s Michael and Jessica dominated the list. And James and Mary were the most common names in the 1950s. A change in when Social Security numbers are generally assigned has allowed this information to be collected faster, which makes these annual popular names lists possible.

We now apply for Social Security numbers for our children shortly after they are born. Registering for a Social Security number for a newborn, while voluntary and free, is often necessary if you want to claim your child as a dependent on your income tax return, open a bank account or buy savings bonds in their name, obtain medical coverage, or apply for government services for your child. But this wasn’t always the case.

[See 10 Ways to Boost Your Social Security Checks .]

The Tax Reform Act of 1986 required that every dependent age five or older listed on a tax return have their own Social Security number, which led to a spike in demand for Social Security numbers for children at earlier ages. The Social Security Administration developed an enumeration-at-birth process in 1987, which quickly became the way the majority of people apply for Social Security numbers. Now parents indicate on the birth certificate form whether they want a Social Security number assigned to their newborn child. When the state vital statistics office receives the request with the birth registration data from the hospital, it forwards the information to the Social Security Administration and a number and card are issued for the child.

You don’t have to apply for a Social Security number for your child at the hospital, but it’s generally easier if you do. If you wait and apply later at a Social Security office, you must provide proof of your child’s U.S. citizenship and age, such as a birth certificate, and wait for Social Security to verify the record with the office that issued it, which could take up to 12 weeks. Children age 12 or older must appear in person for a mandatory interview at a Social Security office in order to have a number assigned to them.

[See Social Security Launches Star Trek Commercial .]

Parents who applied for a Social Security card at the hospital between Jan. 1 and March 31, 2011 received it within an average 3 weeks, but the wait time varied significantly by state. New parents in Kansas, Minnesota, South Carolina, and Texas typically had their child’s Social Security card within a week, while Louisiana parents had an average wait time of 9 weeks, the longest of any state.

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Social Security Matters

How to get your new baby’s social security number.

December 9, 2021 • By Dawn Bystry, Acting Associate Commissioner, Office of Strategic and Digital Communications

Last Updated: December 9, 2021

father holding a newborn baby smiling with the mother

When you give information for your child’s birth certificate at the hospital, you’ll be asked whether you want to apply for a Social Security number for your child. If you answer “yes,” you will be asked to provide both parents’ Social Security numbers. Even if you don’t know both parents’ Social Security numbers, you can still apply for a number for your child.

There are many reasons why your child should have a Social Security number. You need a Social Security number to claim your child as a dependent on your income tax return. You may also need a number for your child if you plan to do the following for your child:

  • Open a bank account.
  • Buy savings bonds.
  • Get medical coverage.
  • Apply for government services.

You can find more information by reading our publication, Social Security Numbers for Children .

Please share this information with people who are having a baby. Applying for a Social Security number at the hospital will save them time and let them focus on their new bundle of joy.

Did you find this Information helpful?

Tags: Children , General Information , social security , Social Security card , SSN

About the Author

Dawn Bystry, Acting Associate Commissioner, Office of Strategic and Digital Communications

Dawn Bystry, Acting Associate Commissioner, Office of Strategic and Digital Communications

Deputy Associate Commissioner, Office of Strategic and Digital Communications

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June 4, 2022 3:09PM

Hello: Do I have to bring my newborn to apply for a social security card (in person)? OR can he stay home while I turn in all the needed paperwork? Thank you.

are social security numbers given at birth

June 6, 2022 8:01AM

Hi, Mel. Thanks for visiting our blog. Your newborn does not have to accompany you to apply for a Social Security card. Keep in mind t he Enumeration at Birth (EAB) program offers new parents at a hospital, birthing center, or using a licensed midwife the option to request a Social Security number (SSN) during the birth registration process. If you did not use this process, please check out our publication, Social Security Numbers for Children , for more information on how to apply for an original Social Security card for your child. We hope this helps. 

June 1, 2022 4:14PM

Necesito ayuda aplicar para la tarjeta de mi hijo que nacio en las carolinas, y nunca me llego su numero socio antes de mudarme en Nashville. Porfavor no se que hacer no tengo visa, solo tengo mi acta nacimiento de Honduras. Eh tratado de aplicar y dicen que necesito visa.

June 3, 2022 1:00PM

Hi, Bessy.  For information in Spanish, please visit us at  http://www.segurosocial.gov , http://www.facebook.com/segurosocial , or http://www.twitter/segurosocial .  For Social Security information in other languages, please visit us at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/multilanguage . Thanks!

May 31, 2022 9:42PM

My son was born abroad. Can I apply for the social security card abroad at the embassy? Please advise.

June 3, 2022 12:59PM

Hi, Jack. Thanks for your question.  Since you are living outside of the U.S., please contact your local   Federal Benefits Unit for any assistance related to Social Security benefits. Also, our Office of International Operations home page provides more information to assist our customers living abroad. We hope this helps.

Comments are closed.

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Social Security numbers and why your baby needs one

Getting a Social Security number for your newborn has many benefits. It allows you to claim your child on your taxes, enroll your baby in health insurance, and set up a college savings plan and/or bank account for your little one. The easiest way to get an SSN for your baby is to apply using birth registration forms at the hospital. If you don't give birth at a hospital, or if your child is older or adopted, you can fill out Social Security forms online and apply in person at your local Social Security office.

Marcella Gates

How to get a Social Security card for a newborn

How do i look up my child's social security number, what if i haven't received my child's social security card, getting a social security number for an adopted child.

A Social Security number (SSN) is the U.S. federal government's way of identifying you and your child. In the United States, registering your child for a Social Security number is voluntary, but it's necessary to obtain important services. You'll use your child's SSN to claim child-related tax breaks (such as the dependent exemption and the child tax credit ), add your child to your health insurance plan, set up a college savings plan or bank account, and perhaps apply for government benefits for them.

The easiest way to apply for a Social Security card and number for a newborn is by completing a birth registration form at the hospital. You'll need to check the "yes" box where the form asks if you want to apply for a Social Security number for your baby.

You'll eventually need to provide both parents' Social Security numbers, but if you don't know both parents' SSNs, you can still fill out the form.

If you didn't deliver in a hospital, you weren't given the birth registration form, or you choose to wait to get an SSN for your child, your other option is to visit your local Social Security Administration Office (you can use the SSA's Office Locator Opens a new window ) and request a number in person. This process requires you to do three things:

  • Complete Form SS-5 (Application for Social Security Number Opens a new window ) and provide both parents' Social Security numbers on the form. To save time, you can download, print, and complete the form before you go.
  • Provide at least two documents proving your baby's age, identity, and citizenship status. One document should ideally be your child's birth certificate, and the other can be their hospital birth record or another medical record.
  • Provide proof of your own identity and proof of your relationship to the child. Your driver's license and passport are both acceptable.

If you'd prefer not to make the trip, you can send a completed Form SS-5 along with your identification documents to your local SSA office by mail. However, you'll have to send originals or certified copies of all identification documents, which is why most people opt to apply in person.

Once you've submitted your application, you should receive your child's Social Security card in the mail in six to 12 weeks, but keep in mind that each state has slightly different processing times. Note as well that it could take longer than this to receive the card if your child is older than 1, because the SSA will contact your state's department of vital statistics to confirm that the birth certificate you've provided is valid.

You won't be able to find your child's SSN online due to the sensitivity of this information. You'll need to contact the Social Security Administration at ssa.gov Opens a new window and eventually visit your local SSA office in person with the proper identification to find out your child's SSN.

(Note: You can look up your baby's SSN on your tax return documents if you've declared your child as a dependent.)

Once your baby's SSN card arrives in the mail, keep it in a safe space at home with other important government-issued documents such as birth certificates and passports . This way, the card is less likely to be misplaced or stolen, and it's readily available when you need to reference your child's Social Security number (the digits are written clearly on the front of the card).

Figure out your state's approximate processing time for SSN applications for newborns, since it varies based on where you live. If you still haven't received your baby's card in the mail after the indicated length of time (and you're sure you submitted the application properly), you have two options:

  • Visit your local SSA Office.
  • Call the national SSA hotline at 1.800.772.1213. This phone number has automated services 24/7, or you can speak to a live person during business hours Monday through Friday.

Depending on your application status, someone at your local SSA office or an official on the hotline could ask you to refile your application; you can do so at ssa.gov. Keep in mind that you can't apply via phone or mail, so if you're asked to do this, report this immediately and consider it fraud.

Also, applying for a SSN and a Social Security card is free, so don't be tricked by scammers who may be trying to charge you a fee for your application.

If the child you're adopting is a United States citizen, the child's birth mother most likely filled out an application for an SSN for the baby at the hospital. However, you have the option to register them for a new SSN that bears the child's new legal name, no matter how old the child is at the time of the adoption.

You'll have to apply in person at your local Social Security Office. You must fill out the SS-5 application Opens a new window and provide proof of the child's citizenship and identity – you can present your Adoption Order, a certified copy of the child's birth certificate, or a hospital record – as well as your own identity and your relationship to them. This new number will override the child's old one.

If you're adopting a child from another country, you'll have to wait until the adoption is final and your child has entered the United States to obtain a Social Security number. To apply, fill out the application and bring the required paperwork described above, as well as other adoption paperwork such as immigration documents from the Department of Homeland Security, to your local Social Security Office. Then, follow the rest of the process described above to obtain your child's Social Security number and card.

If you want to file your child as a dependent on your tax return while the adoption is pending – before you receive the child's SSN card in the mail – you can obtain an Adoption Taxpayer Identification Number (ATIN). To apply for one, complete IRS Form W-7A Opens a new window .

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Social Security Administration. Social security numbers for children. https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10023.pdf Opens a new window [Accessed June 2022]

Social Security Administration. 2022. How long does it take to get my baby's Social Security card that I applied for in the hospital? https://faq.ssa.gov/en-US/Topic/article/KA-01969 Opens a new window [Accessed June 2022]

Social Security Administration. Identity theft and your Social Security number. https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10064.pdf Opens a new window [Accessed June 2022]

Social Security Administration. Social Security numbers for children. https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10023.pdf Opens a new window [Accessed June 2022]

Social Security Administration. How to get a Social Security card and prove U.S. citizenship for a foreign-born adopted child. https://www.ssa.gov/people/immigrants/children.html Opens a new window [Accessed June 2022]

US Birth Certificates. How to get your newborn's Social Security number and card. https://www.usbirthcertificates.com/articles/newborn-social-security-card-number#how-to-apply-for-a-newborn-s-social-security-number [Accessed June 2022]

Alliance for Children's Rights. 2015. Adoptive parent FAQs. https://allianceforchildrensrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/FAQs-for-Adoptive-Parents_2015Update.pdf Opens a new window [Accessed June 2022]

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Social Security

Frequently asked questions, comments and questions, how long does it take to get my child's social security number.

It is a good idea to apply for your child’s Social Security number and birth certificate at birth. If you apply at the hospital, the state agency that issues birth certificates will share your child’s information with us. Then, we will mail the Social Security card to you. If you wait to apply, there may be delays while we verify your child’s birth certificate.

Each state or jurisdiction has different processing times, between 1 and 6 weeks. See the chart below to find out how long your state takes to process the card application. The average processing time is 2 weeks. If you waited the appropriate length of time and still have not received your child's Social Security card, contact your local Social Security office . You also can call us at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778 ), 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. If you live outside the United States, refer to Service Around the World .

For more information, read Social Security Numbers For Children .

The chart below shows the time it takes for each state to send the application and paperwork to Social Security. Allow an additional two weeks for us to send the card in the mail. Social Security Card Application at Birth: Average Processing Times by State (ST) in Weeks (WK) Quarter Ending December 2023

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Fact check: False claim that babies belong to state once given Social Security number

are social security numbers given at birth

The claim: Babies with a birth certificate and Social Security number are property of the state

Some social media users are circulating a conspiracy theory about birth certificates and Social Security numbers.

"Did you know that when you register YOUR baby with the state and are given a BIRTH CERTIFICATE/SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER in return, your baby becomes PROPERTY/WARD of that state?" reads part of a Dec. 9 Instagram post ( direct link, archived link ).

The post claims those records can lead to the government and child protective services taking away a baby if the mother is deemed negligent. It includes a video purportedly showing New Zealand police taking custody of a baby with a heart condition from parents who refused blood from vaccinated people for the baby’s surgery.

Follow us on Facebook!   Like our page to get updates throughout the day on our latest debunks

The post generated over 1,600 likes in less than two weeks.

But the claim is baseless.

Multiple legal experts told USA TODAY that birth certificates and Social Security numbers do not make babies property of the state. And the process of taking custody of a child has nothing to do with these records, either.

USA TODAY reached out to the social media users who shared the claim for comment.

Babies do not become property of state, experts say

There is no truth to the claim, Susan Cancelosi , an associate professor of law at Wayne State University, told USA TODAY in an email. 

Birth certificates are basic government records that show an individual's citizenship status, age and identity, according to the American Bar Association.  Social Security numbers are used for tax reporting purposes and eligibility for government benefits, such as Medicare, Cancelosi said.

Neither birth certificates nor Social Security numbers have anything to do with the termination of parental rights, according to Cancelosi.

The post's claim that birth certificates and Social Security numbers are related to the government taking custody of a child if a mother is negligent is also wrong.

Typically, child protective services will receive a report of abuse or neglect and investigate the situation to see if there's any merit, Naomi Cahn, a law professor and co-director of the Family Law Center at the University of Virginia, told USA TODAY. Whether a child has a Social Security number or birth certificate is irrelevant to this process.

Fact check : Switzerland mulls limits on electric cars during an energy shortage

In cases where parents are abusive, the state can step in to protect the child, Robert Sedler , a retired law professor and attorney, told USA TODAY in an email. The goal is to return the child to the parents. If this is not possible or a child is abandoned, the state can step in and following legal proceedings, parental rights can be terminated. At that point the child is a ward of the state and can be put up for adoption, he said.  

The New Zealand case highlighted in the post had nothing to do with whether the baby had a birth certificate. New Zealand doesn’t issue Social Security numbers, but IRD numbers , which are used for tax reporting purposes.

Health officials took temporary custody of the baby to give him a proper blood transfusion for his heart condition, according to BBC News . The baby's parents remained his permanent guardians.

Lead Stories also debunked the claim.

Our rating: False

Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that babies with a birth certificate and Social Security number are property of the state. Multiple legal experts told USA TODAY that birth certificates and Social Security numbers do not classify babies as property of the state. And the process of taking custody of a child has nothing to do with these two records.

Our fact-check sources:

  • Naomi Cahn, Dec. 18, Phone interview with USA TODAY
  • Susan Cancelosi , Dec. 16, Email exchange with USA TODAY
  • Robert Sedler , Dec. 16, Email exchange with USA TODAY
  • Susan Carle, Dec. 16, Email exchange with USA TODAY
  • Lead Stories, Dec. 12,  Fact Check: 'Birth Certificate/Social Security Number' DO NOT Turn Babies Into 'Property/Ward' Of 'That State'
  • American Bar Association, Nov. 20, 2018,  Birth Certificates
  • USA TODAY, Oct. 12,  Fact check: False claim that undocumented immigrants get Social Security numbers at the border
  • BBC News, Dec. 7,  New Zealand places child in anti-vax blood case in custody
  • Inland Revenue, accessed Dec. 16,  IRD numbers for individuals

Thank you for supporting our journalism. Yo u can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here.

Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook.

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How are Social Security numbers assigned?

Social Security numbers, also known as SSNs, are allocated through a process called randomization that was introduced in June 2011. This system retains the long-standing nine-digit format but assigns a number to each new Social Security cardholder randomly, eliminating methods that date to the inception of Social Security in the mid-1930s.

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Those XXX-XX-XXXX numbers allow the Social Security Administration to track individual workers’ lifetime earnings, data it uses to calculate and pay benefits .

Before the 2011 switch, the first three digits were an area number with codes assigned to different states. The two-digit group number divided numbers into blocks within those geographic areas, and the four-digit serial number individualized each full number within that block.

The original system reflected the record-keeping needs of a bygone era when Social Security data was organized for storage in filing cabinets. Besides being better suited to the digital age, randomization serves two main purposes:

  • It makes life harder for identity thieves . Eliminating the geographical component of the first three digits makes it more difficult for crooks to reconstruct potential victims’ numbers using publicly available data like an address.
  • It extends the longevity of the nine-digit Social Security number. The old system limited the range of numbers that could be issued in a given state. When randomization was proposed in 2007, some states had fewer than 10 years’ worth of unassigned numbers.

Now, anyone from anywhere in the country can get one of the more than 400 million available nine-digit combos, giving the format a considerably longer life.

The new system also expanded the pool of numbers by allowing three-digit codes that were not used in the past as area numbers to start off SSNs, including some in the 700s and 800s. The numbers 000, 666 and 900–999 remain off-limits.

No existing Social Security numbers were replaced as a result of the change to randomization. The new system affects only numbers issued since it was put in place.

Keep in mind

Randomization will apply if you get a new Social Security number to replace a number assigned before the switch. However, Social Security grants requests to change a number only under very limited circumstances, including if the applicant is a victim of domestic violence or abuse or is suffering significant financial harm from identity theft.

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Social Security Intelligence

Your Guide to What Social Security Numbers Mean

If you’ve ever applied for a job, loan, or credit card, you’ve probably been asked for your Social Security number. In many ways, your Social Security number is as much a part of you as your date of birth—it follows you from birth to death and can serve as a key to your sensitive information.

It’s clear that having one is vital because it’s used in various ways. You probably even know the number by heart. But have you ever wondered what Social Security numbers mean?

In this guide, discover what a Social Security number is, how to decode the numbers, if they’re reused, and what your number says about you.

What is a Social Security number?

It seems everyone asks for your Social Security number (SSN) these days. So, what is it? An SSN is a unique identifier issued by the Social Security Administration (SSA).

The number was originally a way for the government to keep track of your earnings and the money you paid into the Social Security program. But now, you can use it in a variety of ways:

  • Tax reporting 
  • Help assure a person’s identity
  • Open a bank account
  • Apply for federal or private student loans
  • Open a line of credit, home loan, or auto loan
  • Apply for a job
  • Qualify for government benefits
  • Get a passport
  • Get a driver’s license

Most people receive an SSN when they’re born. If you don’t have one, you can ask the SSA to issue one to you. The SSA can also give you a replacement card if yours was lost or damaged.

What do the numbers in your Social Security number mean?

The digits in your SSN have a unique configuration. What Social Security numbers mean isn’t a secret—but it isn’t very well known.   

According to the SSA, your nine-digit SSN is divided into three parts:

  • The area number is the first set of three digits.
  • The group number is the second set of two digits.
  • The serial number is the third set of four digits.

How are social security numbers assigned

The original intent was to limit the range of numbers based on specific criteria. For instance, the area number was assigned according to the state in which the SSN was issued.

But several changes have been made since the passage of the Social Security Act in 1935.

Area number

The area number is the first three digits of your SSN. When first issuing numbers, the area number indicated the location of the SSA office that assigned the number. In 1973, the SSA’s Baltimore office began supplying SSNs and used the applicant’s ZIP code to determine the area number.

The system changed again in 2011. What do the first 3 digits of your Social Security mean now? Nothing. SSNs are assigned using “randomization,” and the numbers are not tied to a specific location.

Group number

Group numbers are the two digits in the middle of your SSN. Your group number can range from 01 to 99. So, what do the middle numbers in Social Security mean?

In the early days, the group number was used to identify records. Because the SSA issued SSNs before the era of computers, program administrators used the middle two numbers to organize the records into sub-groups. 

Each group number pointed to a specific area of filing cabinets, making the records easier to manage.

Serial number

The last piece of the SSN puzzle is the serial number. The serial number is the last four digits of your SSN.

They can range from 0001 through 9999 and help to ensure your number is unique. 

How are Social Security numbers assigned?

How SSNs are assigned has changed throughout the years. Initially, the SSA used a system to issue numbers. For example, area numbers told the location where the card was given, and group numbers identified the filing cabinet where the record could be found.

The SSA transitioned to a new system of “randomization” on June 25, 2011. The change was “to help protect the integrity of the SSN,” according to the SSA .

Are Social Security numbers reused?

The SSA has issued over 453 million SSNs and supplies about 5.5 million new numbers per year. At that rate, you may think the SSA would run out of unique numbers to assign. 

However, the SSA does not reuse SSNs—not even after a person dies. Because of the switch to a randomized numbering system, the SSA reports having enough new numbers available for many future generations.

What does your Social Security number say about you?

Now that you know what Social Security numbers mean, what does your number say about you? Fortunately, not much.

Your area number may indicate the state from which your SSN was issued or the ZIP code you used to apply if the SSA issued your number before 2011. However, since the change to a randomized system in 2011, there’s no Social Security number decoder or way to decipher what the numbers mean.

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How can we get a new social security card for my 19 year old daughter who has her adopted name on her card and it’s never been changed. We don’t feel comfortable to send adoption papers in the mail. Thank you Eileen

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Social Security

Social security number and card, what is a social security number.

A Social Security number (SSN) is a unique identifier issued by the Social Security Administration. You need an SSN to work, and it’s used to determine your eligibility for Social Security benefits and certain government services.

Why might you need one?

Many financial institutions, such as banks and credit companies, also ask for your number when you open an account. If you are a noncitizen with permission to work in the United States, you may also need an SSN. For more information please see, Social Security Numbers for Noncitizens .

Answer a few questions and we’ll tell you the best way to apply.

  • Request a copy of a lost, stolen, or damaged card
  • Update or correct your personal information (e.g. name, citizenship, sex identification, date of birth)
  • Request a Social Security Number for the first time

See what card services you can do online

Applying online is the fastest way to obtain a Social Security card. Answer a few questions to see if you can complete your request online, or if you need to finish part or all of your request in-person. Either way, you’ll receive your Social Security card in the mail within 14 days after your application is completed.

Social Security Number Services are Always Free

Some businesses offer Social Security name changes or cards for a fee. Social Security provides those services and more for free. Social Security is the best place to get information about Social Security.

Replace Card

If you lost your card, you may not need a replacement. In most cases, simply knowing your SSN is enough. But if you do need a replacement, we make it easy. Once you complete your application (online or in person), you will receive your Social Security card in the mail.

Request Number for the First Time

To obtain an SSN for the first time, you’ll need to submit an application and show us original documents (or copies certified by the issuing agencies). You can begin your application online, but you will need to visit a local Social Security office or card center to complete the application process.

Make Changes to Your Record

Changing your name or updating an incorrect birthdate, your sex identification, or your citizenship or legal status is always free. To make changes, you’ll need to request a replacement Social Security card. Depending on the change, your application may be completed either online or in person.

are social security numbers given at birth

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How We Got Social Security Numbers

By: Becky Little

Updated: April 23, 2019 | Original: October 4, 2017

Federal employees working on Social Security records, c. 1935.

Social Security numbers serve as sort of a national ID for American citizens, but it wasn’t always that way. When economist Edwin Witte helped develop the Social Security Act of 1935, the numbers were solely a way to keep track of the new retirement payment system.

Witte and his colleagues “knew they needed an ID number, not just a name,” says John Witte —who, in addition to being a professor emeritus of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is Edwin’s grandson. That way even if people had the same name or birthday as others, their payments could be tracked with an individual number.

Even so, the assignment of Social Security numbers, or SSNs, was controversial. The U.S. government had never distributed individual numbers like this before, and some “were very frightened of giving the government the ability to have a number to track people,” Witte says.

Despite some Republicans’ contention that it was government overreach, the Social Security Act passed in the Democrat-led Congress in August 1935; and “the first SSN was issued sometime in mid-November 1936,” says Dorothy J. Clark, a Social Security spokesperson.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Social Security Act on 14th August 1935. From left to right, Robert Lee Doughton, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Edwin E. Witte, Director of the President's Social Security Committee, with Senator Robert F. Wagner, co-author of the bill behind him, Senator Robert La Follette, Senator Augustine Lonergan, Labor Secretary Frances Perkins, Senator William H. King, Rep. David John Lewis, co-author of the bill and Senator Joseph F. Guffey.

At first, Social Security was only meant for certain workers. Domestic workers, agricultural workers, and small business employees were ineligible, and federal employees weren’t part of the program because they already had government pensions for retirement. The program mainly targeted large, private companies, requiring them to offer Social Security to their employees.

Over the next few years, the government created millions of them. While the Social Security Board was still setting up offices around the country, the Post Office played a huge administrative role by distributing and collecting applications and generating Social Security numbers.

“We don’t think about this much today, but it was an enormous administrative undertaking,” Witte says. “Creating a social security system, writing the act, and getting the money was only part of it. The biggest, difficult thing was implementing that program.”

Clerks working in the U.S. Census Bureau office at St. Louis, cataloguing the names of the 75,994,575 Americans listed in the 1900 census, which was used to determine the Social Security rolls.

Subsequent legislation over the next few decades expanded the eligible Social Security pool until it included all American citizens—including children. When the U.S. first passed the act, only adults could sign up for Social Security. But by 1989, when the Enumeration at Birth program made it easier for parents to apply for babies’ SSNs as soon as they’re born, that had all changed. Today, Witte notes that you have to provide your children’s SSN in order to claim them as a dependent on your taxes.

In fact, the number’s ubiquity is part of why Witte says the U.S. probably won’t stop using SSNs as a national form of ID. There are so many things modern Americans need their SSN to apply for—driver’s licenses, homes, college admissions and more—that the government would have to come up with a different kind of ID that could be substituted in its place.

“It would be an enormous task to replace it with something else,” Witte says, of a White House proposal to do stop using SSNs as a form of national ID in the wake of the massive Equifax data breach that exposed 145 million people’s personal information between May and July 2017. And even if it did happen, he muses, “What would that do?” If hackers could get access to SSNs, why couldn’t they gain access to another form of ID?

Likely, the system that necessitates we all memorize our own nine-digit number will continue for a long time.

READ MORE: Where Social Security Came From

are social security numbers given at birth

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Disclosure of Social Security Numbers

“(a)(1) It shall be unlawful for any Federal, State or local government agency to deny to any individual any right, benefit, or privilege provided by law because of such individual’s refusal to disclose his social security account number.

(2) the provisions of paragraph (1) of this subsection shall not apply with respect to—

(A)  any disclosure which is required by Federal statute, or

(B)  the disclosure of a social security number to any Federal, State, or local agency maintaining a system of records in existence and operating before January 1, 1975, if such disclosure was required under statute or regulation adopted prior to such date to verify the identity of an individual.

(b) Any Federal, State, or local government agency which requests an individual to disclose his social security account number shall inform that individual whether that disclosure is mandatory or voluntary, by what statutory or other authority such number is solicited, and what uses will be made of it.” Section 7 of the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, 5 U.S.C. § 552a note (Disclosure of Social Security Number)).

Section 7 was passed into law as part of the Privacy Act of 1974, Public Law 93–579, 88 Stat 1896.  Unlike section 3 of the Privacy Act, however, which Congress designated as an amendment to Title V of the United States Code, Congress made no such statement about section 7.  Thus, the reviser of the United States Code placed section 7 in a “Historical and Statutory” note following section 552a.   See  5 U.S.C. § 552a (note).  The fact that section 7 was never codified and appears only in the “Historical and Statutory Notes” section of the United States Code, does not diminish its weight, however: “The reverse is true: ‘the Code cannot prevail over the Statutes at Large when the two are inconsistent.’”  Schwier v. Cox , 340 F.3d 1284, 1288 (11th Cir. 2003) (quoting United States v. Welden ,  377 U.S. 95 (1964) (internal quotations omitted)).  Therefore, section 7 carries the force of law.

To constitute a violation of section 7, an agency must not only request that an individual disclose a social security number, but also deny a “right, benefit, or privilege” to that individual because of the individual’s refusal to disclose the social security number.  See, e.g. , El-Bey v. N.C. Bd. of Nursing , No. 1:09CV753, 2009 WL 5220166, at *2 (M.D.N.C. Dec. 31, 2009) (dismissing plaintiff’s “Privacy Act/Social Security Act claim” because “Plaintiff alleges only that Defendants requested his number, not that they denied him a legal right based on its non-disclosure so as to potentially violate the Privacy Act”); Johnson v. Fleming , No. 95 Civ. 1891, 1996 WL 502410, at *1, 3-4 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 4, 1996) (finding no violation of section 7(b) notice requirement or section 7(a)(1) because plaintiff did not establish that police officer denied a “right, benefit, or privilege” when plaintiff refused to provide police officer with his social security number).

Although this provision applies beyond federal agencies, it does not apply to:  (1) any disclosure which is required by federal statute; or (2) any disclosure of a social security number to any federal, state, or local agency maintaining a system of records in existence and operating before January 1, 1975, if such disclosure was required under statute or regulation adopted prior to such date to verify the identity of an individual.  See Sec. 7(a)(2)(A)-(B).

A. Exception for Disclosures Required by Federal Statute

Federal, state, and local agencies may deny an individual a right, benefit, or privilege provided by law because of such individual’s refusal to disclose the individual’s social security number if the disclosure is required by federal statute.

A key statute that requires the disclosure of social security numbers is the Social Security Act (SSA), which expressly permits a state agency to use social security numbers for the purpose of identifying individuals “in the administration of any tax, general public assistance, driver’s license, or motor vehicle registration law within its jurisdiction,” see 42 U.S.C. § 405(c)(2)(C)(i) (2018).  The SSA also permits a state agency to use social security numbers to issue birth certificates and to enforce child support orders, the Secretary of Agriculture to use social security numbers in administering the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, and the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation to use them in administering the Federal Crop Insurance Act.  See 42 U.S.C. §§ 405(c)(2)(C)(i), (ii), (iii), (iv). 

Several courts have interpreted subsection 7(a)(2)(A) as creating an exception to the general requirement that an individual cannot be denied a benefit for failure to disclose a social security number.  See Tankersley v. Almand , 837 F.3d 390, 398-399 (4th Cir. 2016) (holding that the Tax Reform Act, 42 U.S.C. § 405(c)(2)(C)(i), which authorizes states to require an individual “who is or appears to be [affected by the administration of any tax law within its jurisdiction]” to disclose the individual’s social security number, permitted Maryland to compel plaintiff to provide his social security number to the Client Protection Fund of the Bar of Maryland “on pain of suspension of his law license.”); Peterson v. City of Detroit , 76 F. App’x 601, 602 (6th Cir. 2003) (denying applicant’s assertion that city violated Section 7 of Privacy Act when it denied him taxicab license for failure to provide his social security number on grounds that, “insofar as [section 7 of the Privacy Act] relates to the ‘privilege’ at issue in this case [denial of plaintiff’s application], has been superceded by a subsequent amendment to the Social Security Act”); Stoianoff v. Comm’r of the DMV , 12 F. App’x 33, 35 (2d Cir. 2001) (finding that plaintiff’s Privacy Act claim would fail because 42 U.S.C. § 405(c)(2)(C)(i) “expressly authorizes states to require the disclosure of social security numbers in the administration of driver’s license programs” and further provides that “any federal law that conflicts with this section is ‘null, void, and of no effect’”); McElrath v. Califano , 615 F.2d 434, 440 (7th Cir. 1980) (finding disclosure of social security number required by regulation that implements Aid to Families with Dependent Children program do not violate Privacy Act); Green v. Philbrook , 576 F.2d 440, 445-46 (2d Cir. 1978) (finding that disclosure of children’s social security numbers required by state program that provided aid to families with children through federal funds did not violate Privacy Act); Ruiz v. Rhode Island , No. CV 16-507WES, 2020 WL 1989266, at *3 (D.R.I. Apr. 27, 2020) (concluding that state had legitimate reason to request social security number because it was required to comply with Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP Extension Act); Lanzetta v. Woodmansee , 2013 WL 6498403 at *3 (M.D. Fla. Apr. 15, 2013) (dismissing claim that state tax collector’s office violated Section 7(a)(1) by requiring plaintiff to furnish his social security number in order to renew his motorcycle license on ground that such disclosure was mandated by Real ID Act of 2005); Dejeu v. Wash. State Dep’t of Labor and Indus. , No. C13-5401RBL, 2013 WL 5437649, at *1-2 (W.D. Wash. Sept. 27, 2013) (finding that “State’s requirement that Plaintiff disclose his Social Security Number in order to register [with State as a contractor] does not violate the Privacy Act” as “[social security] information is statutorily required”); Rodriguez v. Lambert , No. 12-60844, 2012 WL 4838957, at *3 (S.D. Fla. Oct. 11, 2012) (discussing “Florida statute requiring workers to list their social security number” in relation to Section 7); Claugus v. Roosevelt Island Hous. Mgmt. Corp. , No. 96CIV8155, 1999 WL 258275, at *4 (S.D.N.Y. Apr. 29, 1999) (considering housing management corporation to be state actor for Privacy Act purposes but finding that Privacy Act does not apply to income verification process for public housing program because of exception created by 42 U.S.C. § 405(c)(2)(C)(i)); In re Turner , 193 B.R. 548, 552-53 (Bankr. N.D. Cal. 1996) (holding that the Bankruptcy Code, 11 U.S.C. § 110(c) (2006), required disclosure of social security number, thus section 7(a) inapplicable; further holding that section 7(b) also was inapplicable “even assuming the [U.S. Trustee] or the clerk of the bankruptcy court were agencies” because no “request” had been made, and the notice requirements therefore not triggered; rather, because disclosure of social security number is required by statute, “the [U.S. Trustee] is enforcing a Congressional directive, not ‘requesting’ anyone’s SSN” and “[t]he clerk receives documents for filing but does not police their content or form or request that certain information be included”); In re Rausch , 197 B.R. 109, 120 (Bankr. D. Nev. 1996) (holding that the Privacy Act “inapplicable” because 11 U.S.C. § 110 “requires placing the SSN upon ‘documents for filing’”). 

B. Exception for Laws and Regulations in Effect Before January 1, 1975

Federal, state, and local agencies may deny an individual a right, benefit, or privilege provided by law because of such individual’s refusal to disclose the individual’s social security number if required under statute or regulation adopted prior to January 1, 1975, and used to verify the identity of an individual.

A second exception to the general provisions of section 7 is set out in subsection 7(a)(2)(B), which grandfathers statutes or regulations in effect before January 1, 1975, and provides that the prohibition on denying a benefit because of an individual’s failure to provide a social security number does not apply to those statutes and regulations.  See Schwier v. Cox , 439 F.3d 1285, 1285-86 (11th Cir. 2006) (holding that section 7(a)(2)(B) grandfather exception did not apply to Georgia voter registration procedures), aff’g 412 F. Supp. 2d 1266 (N.D. Ga. 2005), remanded by 340 F.3d at 1288-89 (explaining that although section 7 is uncodified, it is still present in the Statutes at Large and therefore is not “a dead letter”); McKay v. Thompson , 226 F.3d 752, 755 (6th Cir. 2000) (finding that Tennessee law requiring disclosure of social security number for voter registration fell within section 7(a)(2)’s exception for systems of records in existence prior to January 1, 1975, where disclosure was required under statute or regulation).

C. Federal, State, and Local Government Notice Requirements

Subsection 7(b) specifies the notice that Federal, State, and local agencies are required to give when requesting individuals’ social security numbers.

Pursuant to subsection 7(b), an agency that requests that individuals disclose their social security numbers must notify individuals whether the disclosure is mandatory or voluntary, by what statutory or other authority such number is solicited, and what uses will be made of it.  See Crawford v. U.S. Trustee , 194 F.3d 954, 961-62 (9th Cir. 1999) (rejecting government’s argument that because disclosure of plaintiff’s social security number was expressly required by federal statute, section 7 was wholly inapplicable, stating that “§ 7(a)(2)(A)’s exclusion for federal statutes only pertains to the limitation recited in § 7(a)(1),” and holding that section 7(b) notice requirements had “no bearing on the public disclosure of [plaintiff’s] social security number[] by the government,” which was only issue in dispute); Alcaraz v. Block , 746 F.2d 593, 608-09 (9th Cir. 1984) (finding section 7(b)’s notice provision satisfied where agency informed “participants of the voluntariness of the disclosure, the source of authority for it and the possible uses to which the disclosed numbers may be put”);  GeorgiaCarry.org, Inc. v. Metro. Atlanta Rapid Transit Auth. , No. 1:09-CV-594, 2009 WL 5033444, at*9-10 (N.D. Ga. Dec. 14, 2009) (finding “one or both of the [transit authority police] officer Defendants violated section 7(b)” when officers “asked [plaintiff] for his identification, firearms license, and social security number . . . .  But neither officer told [plaintiff] whether he had to provide his social security number, what authority they relied on in asking for the number, or what the number would be used for”); Szymecki , 2008 WL 4223620, at *9 (concluding that plaintiff stated claim under section 7 where he alleged that city threatened to arrest and incarcerate him if he did not provide his social security number and that city did not inform him why it needed number or how it would be used); Russell v. Bd. of Plumbing Exam’rs , 74 F. Supp. 2d 339, 347 (S.D.N.Y. 1999) (finding violation of section 7 and ordering injunctive relief where defendants neither informed applicants that providing social security number was optional nor provided statutory authority by which number was solicited, and no statutory authority existed); Greidinger v. Davis , 782 F. Supp. 1106, 1108-09 (E.D. Va. 1992) (finding violation of the Privacy Act where state did not provide timely notice in accordance with section 7(b) when collecting social security number for voter registration), rev’d & remanded on other grounds , 988 F.2d 1344 (4th Cir. 1993); Oakes v. IRS , No. 86-2804, 1987 WL 10227, at *1 (D.D.C. Apr. 16, 1987) (finding that agency requesting individual to disclose his social security number was required to inform individual in accordance with section 7(b) but was not required to publish notice in Federal Register ); Doyle v. Wilson , 529 F. Supp. 1343, 1348-50 (D. Del. 1982) (finding section 7(b)’s requirements are not fulfilled when no affirmative effort is made to disclose information required under 7(b) “ at or before the time the number is requested”); Doe v. Sharp , 491 F. Supp. 346, 347-50 (D. Mass. 1980) (following Green and McElrath regarding section 7(a); finding section 7(b) creates affirmative duty for agencies to inform applicant of uses to be made of social security numbers – “after-the-fact explanations” not sufficient); and Chambers v. Klein , 419 F. Supp. 569, 580 (D.N.J. 1976) (following Green , McElrath , and Doe v. Sharp regarding section 7(a); finding section 7(b) not violated where agency failed to notify applicants of for social security numbers because state had not begun using them pending full implementation of statute requiring their disclosure), aff’d , 564 F.2d 89 (3d Cir. 1977) (unpublished table decision).  Cf. Gonzalez , 671 F.3d at 663-64 (concluding that qualified immunity shielded police officers from liability where officers had “asked [plaintiff] for his social security number” but “did not give him the information listed in § 7(b),” as “the officers’ obligation to make the disclosures specified in § 7(b) was not clearly established” at time of plaintiff’s arrest); Doe v. Herman , No. 297CV00043, 1999 WL 1000212, at *9 (W.D. Va. Oct. 29, 1999) (magistrate’s recommendation) (citing Doe v. Sharp and subsection (e)(3) for proposition that “when an agency solicits a social security number it shall inform the individual of what use will be made of it”), adopted in pertinent part & rev’d in other part , (W.D. Va. July 24, 2000), aff’d in part, rev’d in part, & remanded, on other grounds sub nom. Doe v. Chao , 306 F.3d 170 (4th Cir. 2002), aff’d , 540 U.S. 615 (2004).

D. Causes of Action

Courts have split over whether section 7 provides a cause of action against agencies and, if it does, whether that action is limited to federal agencies.

Jurisdiction to enforce the social security number provision might appear questionable inasmuch as the Privacy Act does not expressly provide for a civil remedy against a nonfederal agency, or for injunctive relief outside of the access and amendment contexts.  Courts of appeals in the Sixth and Ninth Circuit have held that section 7 of the Privacy Act applies exclusively to federal agencies and does not provide for causes of action against state and local entities.  See Schmitt v. City of Detroit , 395 F.3d 327, 330-31 (6th Cir. 2005) (noting that it was “confronted by two provisions of the Privacy Act that contradict one another to some degree: the statutory definition, which unambiguously contemplates that the Privacy Act applies exclusively to federal agencies, and § 7(b), which by its terms includes state and local agencies within its ambit,” but after looking to legislative history, ultimately holding that Privacy Act applies only to federal agencies); Dittman v. Cal. , 191 F.3d 1020, 1026 (9th Cir. 1999) (holding that Privacy Act provides no cause of action against a state licensing entity inasmuch as the private right of civil action created by subsection (g) “is specifically limited to actions against agencies of the United States Government”); Peterson v. Michigan , No. 11-12153, 2011 WL 3516030, at *1 (E.D. Mich. Aug. 11, 2011) (denying plaintiff’s motion to reconsider on grounds that § 7 does not apply to the State of Michigan); Dionicio v. Allison , No. 3:09-cv-00575, 2010 WL 3893816, at *18 (M.D. Tenn. Sept. 30, 2010) (citing Schmitt and granting summary judgment to defendants, agents of the Tennessee Alcohol & Beverage Commission who were sued in their individual and official capacities on grounds that “the civil remedies established by 5 U.S.C. § 552a(g) for violations of the Privacy Act of 1974 extend only to violations by federal agencies”); Treesh v. Cardaris , No. 2:10-CV-437, 2010 WL 3603553, at *3 (S.D. Ohio Sept. 9, 2010) (also citing Schmitt and finding that while the Privacy Act permits an individual to bring a civil action for disclosure of a social security number, that action may only be brought against a federal agency); Warner v. Twp. of S. Harrison , Civ. No. 09-6095, 2010 WL 3001969, at *4 (D.N.J. July 26, 2010) (dismissing plaintiff’s section 7(b) claim against Township because “Plaintiff’s real complaint is Defendants’ widespread, and apparently unjustifiable, dissemination of his social security number to the public . . . [which is] not covered by Section 7(b), but instead by Section 3. . . . Section 3, however, does not apply to state and local agencies.”); but see Lawson v. Shelby Cnty., Tenn. , 211 F.3d 331, 335 (6th Cir. 2000) (holding that “Congress never expressly abrogated state sovereign immunity under the Privacy Act”; however, permitting plaintiffs’ request for prospective injunctive relief [to enforce section 7 of the Privacy Act] against [state] officials” under Ex Parte Young , 209 U.S. 123 (1908)).

Other courts, including the Seventh and Eleventh Circuit Courts of Appeals, have reached the opposite conclusion, however, and have held that the remedial scheme of section 3 of the Privacy Act, which applies strictly to federal agencies, does not apply to section 7, which by its express terms applies to federal, state, and local agencies.  See Schwier v. Cox , 340 F.3d 1284, 1292 (11th Cir. 2003); see also Gonzalez v. Vill. of W. Milwaukee , 671 F.3d 649, 661-63 (7th Cir. 2012).  In Schwier , the court concluded that “Congress created an ‘unambiguously conferred right’ in section 7 of the Privacy Act,” and it reasoned that section 7 may be enforced under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, which “provides a private right of action whenever an individual has been deprived of any constitutional or statutory federal right under color of state law” as “the remedial scheme of section 3 provides no basis for concluding that Congress intended to preclude private remedies under § 1983 for violations of section 7.”  Schwier , 340 F.3d at 1289-90, 1292.  Following the Eleventh Circuit’s reasoning in Schwier , the Seventh Circuit in Gonzalez found “no conflict between §§ 3 and 7 [of the Privacy Act]” as “it seems clear that when § 3(a)(1) defines agencies as federal agencies ‘for purposes of this section,’ it refers only to § 3 . . . .  Accordingly, there is no need to look beyond the unambiguous text of § 7 to determine its applicability.  By its express terms, § 7 applies to federal, state, and local agencies.”  Gonzalez , 671 F.3d at 662.  See also Lanzetta v. Woodmansee , No. 2:13-cv-276, 2013 WL 1610508, at *2 (following Schwier and stating “[a]n individual may also pursue enforcement of his privacy rights under Section 7 of the Privacy Act pursuant to [42 U.S.C. § 1983]; Ingerman v. Del. River Port Auth. , 630 F. Supp. 2d 426, 445 (D.N.J. 2009) (ruling that Delaware River Port Authority’s requirement that social security number had to be submitted to receive a senior citizen “E-Z Pass” violated section 7, which was enforceable under Ex Parte Young ); Szymecki v. Norfolk , No. 2:08cv142, 2008 WL 4223620, at *9 (E.D. Va. Sept. 11, 2008) (concluding that “because Section 7 confers a legal right on individuals and because Congress did not specifically foreclose a remedy under [42 U.S.C.] § 1983 for violations of Section 7 . . . violations of Section 7 are enforceable under § 1983”); Stollenwerk v. Miller , No. 04-5510, 2006 WL 463393, at *3-7 (E.D. Pa. Feb. 24, 2006) (concluding that state statute requiring submission of social security number to purchase a handgun was invalid, as section 7 is enforceable under 42 U.S.C. § 1983); Libertarian Party v. Ehrler,  776 F. Supp. 1200, 1209 (E.D. Ky. 1991) (requiring that voter include social security number on signature petition violates Privacy Act); cf. Lawson v. Shelby Cnty., Tenn. , 211 F.3d at 335 (permitting plaintiffs’ request for prospective injunctive relief [to enforce section 7 of the Privacy Act] against [state] officials” under Ex Parte Young , 209 U.S. 123 (1908)); Greidinger v. Almand , 30 F. Supp. 3d 413, 426-27 (D. Md. 2014) (noting that private right of action has been recognized in certain circumstances even though question of whether “an individual has an implied private right of action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for the violation of section 7 of the Federal Privacy Act is an open question in the Fourth Circuit”) (citing White v. Cain , 2:10-CV-01182, 2011 WL 1087489, at *7 (S.D. W. Va. Mar. 21, 2011)).  Contra Treesh , 2010 WL 3603553, at *3 (“[E]ven if disclosure of plaintiff’s medical information somehow violated the Privacy Act, [plaintiff] still fails to state a federal claim” because “section 1983 cannot be used to redress violations of the Privacy Act.”); Bush v. Lancaster Bureau of Police , No. 07-3172, 2008 WL 3930290, at *7-8 (E.D. Pa. Aug. 28, 2008) (concluding that “Plaintiff cannot state a claim under [42 U.S.C. § 1983] for a violation of subsection (b) of section 7 of the Privacy Act” because “[u]pon review of th[e] statutory language, the court cannot conclude that Congress created an ‘unambiguously conferred right’” for individuals).

Other courts also have recognized implied remedies for alleged violations of section 7.  See Ky. Rest. Concepts, Inc. v. City of Louisville, Jefferson Cnty. Ky. , 209 F. Supp. 2d 672, 687 (W.D. Ky. 2002) (recognizing disagreement but finding that municipality may request social security numbers in adult entertainment applications as part of its regulatory scheme, but also finding that city did not offer any argument that regulation met any of exceptions to enforcement of Privacy Act); McKay v. Altobello , No. 96-3458, 1997 WL 266717, at *1-3, 5 (E.D. La. May 16, 1997) (finding that Commissioner of elections could not require social security numbers from prospective voters as prerequisite to vote because state law did not specifically mention them among items that would sufficiently establish identity); Yeager v. Hackensack Water Co. , 615 F. Supp. 1087, 1090-92 (D.N.J. 1985) (concluding that section 7(b) creates implied right of action, in this case against private company whose actions were imputed to state, that “[i]n the absence of a cause of action to enforce section 7(b) in the federal courts, said action would provide an empty right with no means of enforcement. Such would clearly frustrate the intent of Congress.”) (citing Greater Cleveland Welfare Rights Org. v. Bauer , 462 F. Supp. 1313, 1319-20 (N.D. Ohio 1978); Wolman v. United States , 501 F. Supp. 310, 311 (D.D.C. 1980) (finding reliance on Section 3 of the Privacy Act to prevent court from exercising injunctive power misplaced and that “traditional equity powers of the Court must be exercised in these circumstances in the absence of any indication from Congress of an intention to limit the Court’s inherent power to enforce the law”), remanded , 675 F.2d 1341 (D.C. Cir. 1982) (unpublished table decision), on remand , 542 F. Supp. 84, 85-86 (D.D.C. 1982); Greater Cleveland Welfare Rights Org. v. Bauer , 462 F. Supp. 1313, 1320-21 (N.D. Ohio 1978) (concluding “that Section 7(b) affords plaintiffs an implied right of action for prospective relief”). 

Section 7 does not provide for a civil remedy against individuals or private entities.  White , No. 2:10-cv-01182, 2011 WL 1087489, at *6-7 (dismissing claim brought against police officer alleging that officer violated section 7 by “requesting the plaintiff’s Social Security Number without providing the plaintiff with adequate information” on ground that “the Privacy Act is not applicable to individuals”); Krebs v. Rutgers , 797 F. Supp. 1246, 1256 (D.N.J. 1992) (finding Rutgers is not a state agency or government-controlled corporation subject to Privacy Act and could not distribute class rosters that listed students by name and social security number).

Next Section: Government Contractors

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As more Americans reach 65 than ever, here's what to know about your Social Security retirement age

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  • The age at which you decide to claim Social Security benefits is one of the biggest decisions you will make in retirement.
  • Here's what you need to know about getting the biggest benefit checks possible.

The baby boom generation begins to reach "peak 65" in 2024, with more than 11,200 individuals expected to hit that age milestone every day over the next few years.

Yet members of that cohort may be surprised to find out 65 is not their Social Security full retirement age — the point when they may receive 100% of the benefits they earned.

Changes enacted in 1983 have gradually pushed the full Social Security retirement age up from 65 to 67 over a 40-year period.

More from Personal Finance: How one beach city is helping residents age in place What happens to your Social Security benefits when you die 62% of adults 50 and over have not used professional help for retirement

"For most of the people retiring today, their full retirement age is somewhere between 66 and 67," said Joe Elsasser, a certified financial planner and president of Covisum, a Social Security claiming software company.

Notably, everyone who puts off claiming Social Security retirement benefits until age 70 stands to get the biggest benefit payments, regardless of their full retirement age.

How to find your Social Security full retirement age

If you were born between 1943 and 1954, your full retirement age is 66.

If you were born in 1960 or later, your full retirement age is 67.

The full Social Security retirement age gradually increases from 66 to 67 for people born between those years.

Social Security full retirement age

For some people, this can come as a surprise, because they may still confuse their Social Security full retirement age with the Medicare eligibility age of 65, according to Elsasser.

Others are familiar with their full retirement age because they have been seeing it on their Social Security statement over the years, he said.

Social Security statements can be accessed online by creating a My Social Security account .

How Medicare can trip up retirees in other ways

It's not just the Medicare eligibility age that can trip up prospective Social Security retirement beneficiaries, Elsasser noted.

Retirees may be tempted to sign up for Social Security when they become eligible for Medicare at 65 so they do not have to write checks to cover their premiums. Those payments for Medicare Part B — which covers doctor's visits, outpatient care and preventive services — are typically deducted directly from Social Security benefit checks.

But tying those decisions to each other will result in permanently reduced Social Security benefits, since that would be before full retirement age.

"You really should make those decisions independently of each other," Elsasser said.

Of course, not everyone can or should delay claiming Social Security retirement benefits. The earliest eligibility age is 62, and experts say claiming then may make sense for individuals in some circumstances, such as if they have a poor health prognosis.

By waiting until full retirement age, you can receive up to 100% of the benefits you've earned.

If you delay claiming past your full retirement age and up to age 70, you stand to get an 8% benefit increase per year.

A better way to think about it is that each month you delay is worth two-thirds of 1%, Elsasser said. Therefore, even delays of small increments can help increase your monthly checks over your lifetime.

The full retirement age may be subject to go up again, depending on whether Congress decides to include that change to shore up Social Security's funding woes.

However, such a change would likely affect only prospective retirees ages 55 and younger, Elsasser predicted, and isn't necessarily a sure thing, as life expectancy in the U.S. is no longer accelerating.

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February SSDI Payment 2024: Here's When Your Check Will Arrive

The third round of February Social Security Disability Insurance payments will be sent out this week.

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Find out when your February SSDI check will arrive.

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If you're waiting to get your February  Social Security Disability Insurance  check, it could arrive this week. The Social Security Administration is sending out the third round of payments for this month on Wednesday. 

Whether your payment comes with today's round depends on when you started receiving SSDI, as well as your birth date. If you don't get your payment this week, it'll likely arrive next week.

Below, we've listed the dates for when your SSDI money could arrive. Note that SSDI is paid on the same day as Social Security payments .

Payment schedule if you've received SSDI since 1997 or earlier

If you've been an SSDI recipient since May 1997 or before, your payment should arrive on the third day of every month.

There are exceptions. If the third day of the month falls on a weekend or holiday, you'll get your payment on the nearest business day. For example, Feb. 3 fell on a Saturday, so beneficiaries should have received their payments on that Friday, Feb. 2.

When your check arrives depends on your birth date and the year you started receiving SSDI money.

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Schedule for everyone else depends on their birthday

Payments for those who haven't been receiving SSDI since 1997 or before follow the same schedule as Social Security. Here's how it works:

  • If your birthday falls between the first and 10th of the month, your payment will be sent on the second Wednesday of the month.
  • If your birthday falls between the 11th and 20th of the month, your payment will be sent on the third Wednesday of the month.
  • If your birthday falls between the 21st and 31st of the month, your payment will be sent on the fourth Wednesday of the month.

When you'll get your SSDI payment in February

Here's when your payment should arrive:

Feb. 2: Payment for those who have received SSDI since before May 1997.

Feb. 14: SSDI payment for those with birthdays falling between the first and 10th of any given month.

Feb. 21: SSDI payment for those with birthdays falling between the 11th and 20th of any given month.

Feb. 28: SSDI payment for those with birthdays falling between the 21st and 31st of any given month.

For more, here's how to get in touch with the Social Security Administration  to resolve any questions or issues with your Social Security payments.

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What is Social Security? Guide to Social Security Benefits in 2024

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  • Social Security is a federal program that provides retirement income and disability benefits.
  • Payroll taxes fund the Social Security program and is one of the largest areas of US federal spending.
  • Collecting Social Security retirement benefits later rather than sooner can bring a significant financial bonus.

Social Security is a federal insurance program funded by payroll taxes that provide income to retirees and workers with disabilities. It was originally established during the Great Depression but has evolved significantly over the years to become one of the largest categories of federal spending.

The main benefit of Social Security includes monthly payments, which can also be passed on to spouses, children, and survivors of the original beneficiary. Social Security monthly payments are best when paired with funds from the best retirement plans , such as 401(k)s or IRAs. 

Here's everything you need to know about Social Security in 2024. 

Social Security is a vital US government program that provides financial support, retirement benefits, disability benefits, and more. How much you've paid into the program determines how much you'll receive later. You can start receiving Social Security retirement benefits as early as 62, but you won't be able to access your full benefits until you reach the full age of retirement. 

What is Social Security?

The Social Security program is funded through federal payroll taxes. If you collect a paycheck, your employer will withhold a portion of your earnings for Social Security. If you're self-employed, you'll pay these taxes yourself.

"To better understand Social Security, it may be helpful to know that the official name is the Old, Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) program," says Jay Zigmont, CFP and founder of Childfree Wealth . "While OASDI may not be as catchy of a term as Social Security, it does explain the program."

Throughout your career, you'll contribute a substantial portion of your income to the Social Security program. All that money is pooled together to support what has become a vast program that retirees, workers with disabilities, and their survivors rely on for economic security. 

Important: Regardless of how much you earn or when you retire, you should never rely on Social Security as your sole source of income in retirement. It almost certainly will not be enough. Be sure to include others, such as a 401(k) or IRA , in planning for your life after work. Many financial professionals recommend that you aim to have between 70% and 80% of your pre-retirement income each year in retirement.

Social Security changes in 2024

January 1, 2024, marked the day new Social Security changes took effect. Qualifying individuals should be aware of new Social Security information that may have an impact on how they receive monthly payments and who can qualify. 

Social Security changes in 2024 include:

  • Cost-of-living adjustment (COLA): Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits increase by 3.2% to offset the rising cost of living in 2024. For retirees, this means an average increase of more than $50 per month. 
  • Maximum Social Security benefit: The maximum benefit for individuals reaching full retirement age increased from $3,627 per month in 2023 to $3,822 per month in 2024. 
  • Earnings limit for full retirement age: The earning limit for folks who reached full retirement age increased from $56,520 in 2023 to $59,520 in 2024. This may allow some individuals to pocket more cash without reducing their benefits. 
  • Social Security tax increase: Social Security tax wage base rises by 5.2% in 2024. The maximum earnings eligible for Social Security tax increased from $160,200 in 2023 to $168,600 in 2024. Therefore, higher earners making over $168,600 will end up paying $521 more in taxes than they did last year. 
  • Retirement earnings text exempt increase: For individuals younger than full retirement age, the annual earning amounts expected from the retirement earnings test increased from $21,340 in 2023 to $22,320 in 2024. 
  • Substantial gainful activity (SGA) limits: SGA limits for blind individuals and those receiving disability benefits increase slightly. The SGA amount for non-blind individuals receiving disability benefits increased from $1,470 monthly in 2023 to $1,550 monthly in 2024. For blind individuals, the SGA amount increases from $2,460 monthly in 2023 to $2,590 monthly in 2024. 

How does Social Security work?

You may see the Social Security tax accounted for on your paycheck under a category called FICA, which stands for the Federal Insurance Contributions Act. It allows for tax withholdings to fund Social Security and Medicare.

Social Security is funded by payroll taxes that provide income to retirees and disabled workers. Your employer will withhold a portion of each paycheck toward Social Security. If you're self-employed, you'll pay these taxes yourself. 

For every $1 that goes toward Social Security, $0.85 goes to a trust fund that pays the monthly benefits to everyone who currently files for Social Security. The other $0.15 goes to a trust fund that pays benefits to people with disabilities and their families. 

In 2024, the Social Security tax rate is the same as in 2023 at 6.2% for the employee, with an equal match by the employer, for a total of 12.4% applied to the first $168,600 of earnings. 

What is the full retirement age?

Full retirement age refers to the age at which you're eligible to receive full Social Security retirement benefits. Although anyone age 62 can start receiving benefits, those benefits will be reduced (generally around 25% to 30%) until you reach full retirement age.

In fact, the full retirement age isn't the same for everyone, as it is determined by your birth year and gradually increases over time. For example, for folks born in the 1960s or later, the full retirement age is 67. However, those born between 1943 and 1959 can reach full retirement age between 66 and 67. 

Social Security benefits

While it's mostly associated with retirement, Social Security also provides disability and survivor's benefits. All these programs are run by the Social Security Administration (SSA).

The average Social Security benefit payment, as of January 2024 , is about $1,770 a month.

Social Security retirement benefits

Your Social Security benefits are calculated based on how much you earned in your lifetime. Your actual earnings are adjusted (or indexed) to account for wage changes since the time you received them.

Your average indexed monthly earnings are then calculated for the 35 years you earned the most. A formula is applied to that figure to determine your basic benefit, known as the primary insurance amount (PIA). That's how much you would receive at your full retirement age.

Quick tip: To get an idea of how much you'll receive in retirement benefits, use the Social Security retirement estimator .

Social Security disability benefits

You can qualify for Social Security disability benefits if you're unable to work due to a chronic physical or mental condition. There are two different programs: 

  • Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI): This program benefits you and certain family members if you are "insured," meaning you worked long ( or recently) enough and paid Social Security taxes on your earnings. 
  • Supplemental Security Income (SSI): This program pays benefits to adults and children with disabilities who have limited income and resources.

Remember, this is not a short-term disability program like workers' compensation, insurance, or savings account.

Social Security survivors' benefits

Under certain conditions, your family can receive Social Security benefits based on your years of work after you die.

Survivors' payments will be based on a percentage of the deceased family member's basic Social Security benefit. This range is usually from 75% to 100%.

If you find yourself in a survivor's situation, you can use the Social Security program to help offset lost income due to your family member passing away.

What are the eligibility requirements to receive Social Security benefits?

How to qualify for social security retirement benefits.

To qualify for Social Security retirement benefits, you must have earned at least 40 Social Security "credits," which are earned by working and paying Social Security taxes. Forty credits equals around 10 years of work.

In 2024, you earn one credit for every $1,730 in net income and can only earn a maximum of four credits per year (a total of $6,920). But the number of credits you have doesn't actually determine how much you'll receive in benefits.

How to qualify for Social Security disability benefits

To qualify for Social Security disability benefits, you must meet criteria including:

  • You are unable to work in the future because of your medical condition.
  • You cannot do the work you did previously or adjust to other work due to a recent diagnosis of a medical condition.
  • Your condition has lasted at least a year or will result in your death.

How to qualify for Social Security survivor benefits

For surviving spouses, the criteria to receive payments is:

  • Age 60 or older
  • Age 50 or older with a qualifying disability 
  • Any age if caring for a child who is younger than 16 or has a qualifying disability 

For your children to receive Social Security benefits, the criteria include the following:

  • Younger than 18 years old
  • Between 18 and 19 years old, but in a secondary school as a full-time student
  • Age 18 or older with a qualifying disability

When to start receiving Social Security benefits

The SSA provides detailed information about how much you've paid into the program and estimates of how much you'll receive in benefits depending on the age at which you retire. You can get one by creating an online account with the agency, or you can request one by mail.

Choosing when to start receiving your retirement benefits is a very important decision.

"For most people, it is best to wait until 70 to receive Social Security benefits, but there are quite a few considerations," Zigmont says. "When to take your benefits is part of your financial plan that will change the course of your retirement for life."

While you can start receiving your Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62, you aren't entitled to full benefits until you reach your full retirement age. Starting to receive Social Security benefits later rather than sooner can be financially beneficial.

According to the SSA, someone who starts at age 70 will get 132% of what they would have gotten as soon as they reached their full retirement age because they delayed getting them for 48 months. Meanwhile, a worker who chooses to collect at age 62 may see a reduction of as much as 30%.

What's a Social Security number, and why is it important?

Virtually everyone who pays taxes in the US has a Social Security number. These unique nine-digit identifiers are often issued in infancy and follow us from the cradle to the grave. The numbering system was created in the 1930s to track income and determine retirement benefits.

While Social Security numbers are still used for that purpose, they've evolved into a national identification number used by the government and banks, insurers, cell phone service providers, and other private businesses. It's arguably the most important number.

You need a Social Security number to:

  • Open a bank account
  • Get car insurance
  • Take out a loan
  • Apply for a credit card
  • Get a passport
  • Buy a house
  • Get a driver's license

There's also a Social Security number equivalent for businesses, called an employer identification number ( EIN ), but you don't need one if you're a sole proprietor. 

Because they're so widely used for identification, Social Security numbers also have become prime targets for identity theft . They can use them to do everything from opening up lines of credit to obtaining medical care in your name.

The SSA, which issues Social Security numbers and maintains the records, can issue you a new number as a last resort if someone has been misusing yours and you've done all you can to stop them. However, it warns that doing so might not solve your problems.

"For some victims of identity theft, a new number actually creates new problems," the SSA states in a consumer advisory brochure . "If the old credit information isn't associated with your new number, the absence of any credit history under your new number may make it more difficult for you to get credit."

Social Security — Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

What's the difference between retirement benefits and disability benefits under social security .

While both fall under Social Security, disability and retirement benefits have different purposes, qualification requirements, and benefits. In short, Social Security retirement benefits can only be accessed by individuals at least age 62 and who have earned enough credits but are paying Social Security taxes. Disability benefits are received when someone is unable to work full-time due to a chronic physical or mental disability, regardless of age. 

Can I borrow money from my Social Security benefits?

You can't take out a loan or borrow funds against your future Social Security benefits. If you're in a tight spot, you may be able to file for Social Security early. But this comes with its own set of risks. 

What is the full Social Security benefit?

The amount of full Social Security benefits you can receive depends on your retirement age. In 2024, you can receive a maximum benefit of $3,822 monthly at full retirement age. Currently full retirement age for folks born in 1960 or later is 67. 

How can I find out how much Security Security I will get?

You can access estimated future benefits for different retirement age scenarios with a personal Social Security account. To create an account, go to the SSA website .

How much does the average person get on Social Security per month?

On average, people get about $1,770 a month in Social Security in 2024. The amount of Social Security you'll receive varies by the age you retire and how much you earn in your lifetime. 

Who gets paid Social Security?

To qualify for Social Security retirement benefits, you need to have earned at least 40 Social Security credits, which you earn by working and paying Social Security taxes. Forty credits come to around 10 years of work. To receive Social Security benefits for disabilities, you must have an eligible long-term disability.

Getting Social Security benefits

Although Social Security can be a big help for retirees and people with disabilities, it's often not enough as a sole source of income. Therefore, saving for retirement through savings accounts, such as one of the best IRA accounts or employer-sponsored plans. 

Consult a financial advisor who specializes in retirement planning for professional guidance on your individual situation. Retirement planning should be part of your long-term financial plan , such as learning how to use your Social Security funds best. 

What is Social Security? Guide to Social Security Benefits in 2024

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  • Infant/Child Product Recalls

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  1. Social Security Benefits by Year of Birth

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  2. How to Get Your Child a Social Security Card & Number

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  3. Getting a Social Security Number for a Home Birth Baby

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  4. Your Guide to What Social Security Numbers Mean

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  5. How to Get a Replacement Social Security Card

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  6. What Is A Social Security Number?

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COMMENTS

  1. Social Security Numbers (SSNs) How they are assigned by State

    Randomization In 2011, the SSA changed the assignment process to a process known as SSN randomization. This process eliminates the geographical significance of the number's first three digits. Below is an explanation of how the numbers were assigned under the old system that was in effect before 2011. Social Security Number - Area Group Serial

  2. What is Enumeration at Birth and how does it work?

    The Enumeration at Birth (EAB) program eliminates the need for a parent to gather the necessary documents, complete an Application for a Social Security Card (SS-5), and take or mail original documents to a local Social Security office for processing.. New parents at a hospital, birthing center, or using a licensed midwife can request a Social Security number (SSN) during the birth ...

  3. Why We Assign Social Security Numbers at Birth

    | May 6, 2011, at 10:37 a.m. Jacob and Isabella were the most popular names given to newborn boys and girls in the United States in 2010, according to Social Security card application data...

  4. The Story of the Social Security Number

    Assigned at birth, the SSN enables government agencies to identify individuals in their records and businesses to track an individual's financial information.

  5. How To Get Your New Baby's Social Security Number

    When you give information for your child's birth certificate at the hospital, you'll be asked whether you want to apply for a Social Security number for your child. If you answer "yes," you will be asked to provide both parents' Social Security numbers. Even if you don't know both parents' Social Security numbers, you can still ...

  6. PDF Social Security Numbers for Children

    The easiest way to get a Social Security number (SSN) for your newborn is to apply when you provide information for your baby's birth certificate in the hospital. If you wait to apply for a number at a Social Security ofice, there may be delays while we verify your child's birth certificate. Why should I get a Social Security number for my child?

  7. How to get a social security card for a newborn

    / Money Social Security numbers and why your baby needs one Getting a Social Security number for your newborn has many benefits. It allows you to claim your child on your taxes, enroll your baby in health insurance, and set up a college savings plan and/or bank account for your little one.

  8. How long does it take to get my child's Social Security number?

    For more information, read Social Security Numbers For Children. The chart below shows the time it takes for each state to send the application and paperwork to Social Security. Allow an additional two weeks for us to send the card in the mail. Social Security Card Application at Birth: Average Processing Times by State (ST) in Weeks (WK)

  9. Fact check: False claim on birth certificates, Social Security numbers

    The claim: Babies with a birth certificate and Social Security number are property of the state. Some social media users are circulating a conspiracy theory about birth certificates and Social ...

  10. Social Security number

    In the United States, a Social Security number ( SSN) is a nine-digit number issued to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and temporary (working) residents under section 205 (c) (2) of the Social Security Act, codified as 42 U.S.C. § 405 (c) (2).

  11. How to Register Your Baby for a Social Security Number

    If you don't register your newborn in the hospital, you'll need to go to your local Social Security office. This process is more involved, and it can take anywhere from one to six weeks to get a ...

  12. How Are Social Security Numbers Assigned?

    The numbers 000, 666 and 900-999 remain off-limits. No existing Social Security numbers were replaced as a result of the change to randomization. The new system affects only numbers issued since it was put in place. Keep in mind Randomization will apply if you get a new Social Security number to replace a number assigned before the switch.

  13. Social Security Number (SSN) Prefix

    Most Social Security numbers are requested upon the birth of a child in the United States, so your prefix identifies the state in which you were born. If you are an immigrant or requested an SSN later in life, the prefix shows which state you resided in at the time of your SSN issuance.

  14. Your Guide to What Social Security Numbers Mean

    Most people receive an SSN when they're born. If you don't have one, you can ask the SSA to issue one to you. The SSA can also give you a replacement card if yours was lost or damaged. What do the numbers in your Social Security number mean? The digits in your SSN have a unique configuration.

  15. Social Security Number and Card

    Once you complete your application (online or in-person), you will receive your Social Security card in the mail. Answer a few questions to find the best way to get what you need. Update or correct your personal information (e.g. name, citizenship, sex identification, date of birth) Find out how to replace your Social Security Number card or ...

  16. Social Security Number and Card

    Changing your name or updating an incorrect birthdate, your sex identification, or your citizenship or legal status is always free. To make changes, you'll need to request a replacement Social Security card. Depending on the change, your application may be completed either online or in person.

  17. Getting your baby's birth certificate and Social Security card

    If you did not request a Social Security number through the birth certificate process, you can still get one. The process might be slower, however. You'll need to do the following at a Social Security office: Complete an application. Prove your child's U.S. citizenship, age, and identity. Prove your identity and your relationship to your child.

  18. How We Got Social Security Numbers

    The U.S. government had never distributed individual numbers like this before, and some "were very frightened of giving the government the ability to have a number to track people," Witte says.

  19. Personal Social Security record

    Sex identification Update your sex identification if it's wrong or has changed. Date of birth Correct your date of birth if it's different than what we have. View your record Sign in to view your earnings record, get a tax form or benefit letter, update your direct deposit information, and complete other tasks.

  20. Disclosure of Social Security Numbers

    The SSA also permits a state agency to use social security numbers to issue birth certificates and to enforce child support orders, the Secretary of Agriculture to use social security numbers in administering the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, and the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation to use them in administering the Federal Crop Insurance ...

  21. Why Americans Are Getting a $4,800 Social Security Check Today

    Americans are set to receive a Social Security check worth up to $4,800 today, but not all seniors are happy about the increase in monthly payments. Social Security benefits grew by 3.2 percent ...

  22. Here's the Average Social Security Retired-Worker Benefit by Age

    These four factors are used to calculate your Social Security check. America's top retirement program comes with a number of potential surprises, including the possibility of being taxed at the ...

  23. February SSDI Payment 2024: More Checks Are Arriving Today

    The Social Security Administration is sending out the second round of February Social Security Disability Insurance checks today. Whether your payment comes with today's round depends on when you ...

  24. Social Security History

    Defines "means of identification" to include name, social security number, date of birth, official State or government issued driver's license or identification number, alien registration number, government passport number, and employer or taxpayer identification number; and ... Social Security Number Confidentiality Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-433):

  25. Social Security retirement age: How to know when to claim benefits

    To get the biggest Social Security retirement benefit checks, it pays to wait. ... Year of birth Social Security full retirement age; 1943-1954: 66: 1955: 66 and two months: 1956: 66 and four ...

  26. February SSDI Payment 2024: Here's When Your Check Will Arrive

    Feb. 14: SSDI payment for those with birthdays falling between the first and 10th of any given month. Feb. 21: SSDI payment for those with birthdays falling between the 11th and 20th of any given ...

  27. Who receives $1,900 from Social Security on February 21?

    Social Security payment dates. Payments are issued every Wednesday of the month based on the beneficiary's date of birth. If the beneficiary's date of birth falls between the 1st and the 10th ...

  28. What is Social Security? Guide to Social Security Benefits in 2024

    Social Security tax increase: Social Security tax wage base rises by 5.2% in 2024. The maximum earnings eligible for Social Security tax increased from $160,200 in 2023 to $168,600 in 2024 ...

  29. Social Security History

    If you find a person in the Death Index you will learn the date of birth and Social Security Number for that person. (The Social Security Death Index is not published by SSA for public use, but is made available by commercial entities using information from SSA records. ... Are the answers given correct? A: There are many varieties of questions ...

  30. Popular Baby Names

    Social Security is with you from day one, ... Learn How to Get Baby's First Number What Every Parent Should Know. Subscribe to Baby Names. Top 10 Baby Names of 2022. Watch our video countdown of 2022's Top 10 Most Popular Baby Names! ... Popular Names by Birth Year. Enter the Year and Popularity for a List of the Most Popular Names. Any year ...