mirror of
https://github.com/nhammer514/textfiles-politics.git
synced 2024-10-01 01:15:38 -04:00
104 lines
5.0 KiB
Plaintext
104 lines
5.0 KiB
Plaintext
|
||
|
||
FROM: Barbara Bennett
|
||
SUBJECT: Social Security Information
|
||
|
||
The Social Security Number
|
||
|
||
SSA has continually emphasized the fact that the SSN
|
||
identifies a particular record only and the Social Security
|
||
Card indicates the person whose record is identified by that
|
||
number. In no way can the Social Security Card identify the
|
||
bearer. From 1946 to 1972 the legend "Not for Identification"
|
||
was printed on the face of the card. However, many people
|
||
ignored the message and the legend was eventually dropped.
|
||
The social security number is the most widely used and
|
||
carefully controlled number in the country, which makes it an
|
||
attractive identifier.
|
||
|
||
With the exception of the restrictions imposed on Federal and
|
||
some State and local organizations by the Privacy Act of
|
||
1974, organizations requiring a unique identifier for
|
||
purposes of controlling their records are not prohibited from
|
||
using (with the consent of the holder) the SSN. SSA records
|
||
are confidential and knowledge of a person's SSN does not
|
||
give the user access to information in SSA files which is
|
||
confidential by law.
|
||
|
||
Many commercial enterprises have used the SSN in various
|
||
promotional efforts. These uses are not authorized by SSA,
|
||
but SSA has no authority to prohibit such activities as most
|
||
are not illegal. Some of these unauthorized uses are: SSN
|
||
contests; skip-tracers; sale or distribution of plastic or
|
||
metal cards; pocketbook numbers (the numbers used on sample
|
||
social security cards in wallets); misleading advertising,
|
||
commercial enterprises charging fees for SSN services;
|
||
identification of personal property.
|
||
|
||
The Social Security Number (SSN) is composed of 3 parts,
|
||
XXX-XX-XXXX, called the Area, Group, and Serial. For the most
|
||
part, (there are exceptions), the Area is determined by where the
|
||
individual APPLIED for the SSN (before 1972) or RESIDED at time
|
||
of application (after 1972). The areas are assigned as follows:
|
||
000 unused 387-399 WI 528-529 UT
|
||
001-003 NH 400-407 KY 530 NV
|
||
004-007 ME 408-415 TN 531-539 WA
|
||
008-009 VT 416-424 AL 540-544 OR
|
||
010-034 MA 425-428 MS 545-573 CA
|
||
035-039 RI 429-432 AR 574 AK
|
||
040-049 CT 433-439 LA 575-576 HI
|
||
050-134 NY 440-448 OK 577-579 DC
|
||
135-158 NJ 449-467 TX 580 VI Virgin Islands
|
||
159-211 PA 468-477 MN 581-584 PR Puerto Rico
|
||
212-220 MD 478-485 IA 585 NM
|
||
221-222 DE 486-500 MO 586 PI Pacific Islands*
|
||
223-231 VA 501-502 ND 587-588 MS
|
||
232-236 WV 503-504 SD 589-595 FL
|
||
237-246 NC 505-508 NE 596-599 PR Puerto Rico
|
||
247-251 SC 509-515 KS 600-601 AZ
|
||
252-260 GA 516-517 MT 602-626 CA
|
||
261-267 FL 518-519 ID *Guam, American Samoa,
|
||
268-302 OH 520 WY Northern Mariana Islands,
|
||
303-317 IN 521-524 CO Philippine Islands
|
||
318-361 IL 525 NM
|
||
362-386 MI 526-527 AZ
|
||
|
||
627-699 unassigned, for future use
|
||
|
||
700-728 Railroad workers through 1963, then discontinued
|
||
729-899 unassigned, for future use
|
||
900-999 not valid SSNs, but were used for program purposes
|
||
when state aid to the aged, blind and disabled was
|
||
converted to a federal program administered by SSA.
|
||
|
||
As the Areas assigned to a locality are exhausted, new areas
|
||
from the pool are assigned. This is why some states have non-
|
||
contiguous groups of Areas.
|
||
|
||
The Group portion of the SSN has no meaning other than to
|
||
determine whether or not a number has been assigned. SSA
|
||
publishes a list every month of the highest group assigned for
|
||
each SSN Area. The order of assignment for the Groups is: odd
|
||
numbers under 10, even numbers over 9, even numbers under 9
|
||
except for 00 which is never used, and odd numbers over 10. For
|
||
example, if the highest group assigned for area 999 is 72, then
|
||
we know that the number 999-04-1234 is an invalid number because
|
||
even Groups under 9 have not yet been assigned.
|
||
|
||
The Serial portion of the SSN has no meaning. The Serial is not
|
||
assigned in strictly numerical order. The Serial 0000 is never
|
||
assigned.
|
||
|
||
Before 1973, Social Security Cards with pre-printed numbers were
|
||
issued to each local SSA office. The numbers were assigned by the
|
||
local office. In 1973, SSN assignment was automated and
|
||
outstanding stocks of pre-printed cards were destroyed. All SSNs
|
||
are now assigned by computer from headquarters. There are rare
|
||
cases in which the computer system can be forced to accept a
|
||
manual assignment such as a person refusing a number with 666 in
|
||
it.
|
||
|
||
A pamphlet entitled "The Social Security Number" (Pub. No.
|
||
05-10633) provides an explanation of the SSN's structure and
|
||
the method of assigning and validating Social Security numbers.
|
||
|