Providing social security number is discretionary, and you must know how to use it judiciously

Your social security card should be your life long companion, and you must ensure its proper preservation because the card with 9 digit number becomes a part of your identity. All US citizens, as well as eligible residents of the country, must possess the social security card obtained by filing an online application.  Online application replacement social security cards are also available for those who might have lost or damaged their cards.  Social security card provides the identity of the person by considering all personal information and enables the government to keep track of the earnings of people during their lifetime and the number of working years.

Good for individuals and government

The social security card helps the government to determine the eligibility of individuals and calculate the amount payable to them which is important at the time of retirement or for receiving the benefits of disability income.  Furnishing the social security number during employment is mandatory as it helps employers to verify the identity of the employee and report the income to the IRS (Internal revenue Service) for income tax reporting.  In addition, employees who take part in the E-verify program that enables them to establish their legality of working in the US need to furnish their social security number before commencing work.

The exemptions

The social security number is must for US citizens but not for non- citizens who can do without it when seeking driver’s license, getting private health insurance registering for school or applying for subsidized housing through public assistance schemes. However, having a valid permit to work in the US is necessary for non-citizens to acquire the social security card if they wish to get one. If you do not have a social security number, banks and credit companies cannot force upon you to provide it. But providing the number helps them to run credit checks for processing your loan application. Therefore, not providing the number might hinder the prospects of getting loans.

Use the social security number with discretion

As you can understand, the social security number is mandatory in some situations, but in most cases, there is no legal binding for providing it. Use the social security number with discretion because distributing at random can even result in identity theft.  Unless you are sure that the person asking for it truly needs it there is no reason for you to oblige him or her. For example, medical providers often ask for the number, but you can turn down their request because if they are using it to keep track of your records, there are other means of gathering information for meeting their goal.

Preserving the social security card just like some other important documents like passport is the responsibility of the individuals, and failure to do so can cause problems as they must apply for a replacement card. Although the process of online application might seem convenient, filing the application correctly in the first instance is quite challenging. Seeking help from experts in online form filling can resolve the issue faster.

Leave a Comment