Social Security Administration Implementing Random SSN Assignment this June

The Social Security Administration plans to implement a new social security number assignment methodology on June 25, 2011. One of the reasons for this change is to extend the availability of social security numbers in all of the states. Under the current system, certain numbers of the first three numbers have been reserved for individuals from select areas. With the implementation of the new system, people in states that are more densely populated will have a greater availability of numbers for more years.

Another benefit to randomization of social security numbers is security. More people are compromising their personal information through the internet, such as social sites where they freely exhibit their date of birth and where they were born. Identity thieves use this available information to hack an individual’s social security number. Generating random numbers for people obtaining social security numbers will make it impossible for identity thieves to reconstruct the social security number of another by using public information.

The Social Security Administration will continue not to assign numbers beginning with 000, 666, or the number nine. In addition, the fourth and fifth numbers cannot be 00 and the last four numbers cannot be 0000. The SSA will not issue new numbers to people who already have a number: this change only affects people applying for a social security number for the first time. People are assigned social security numbers permanently and a number is not recycled after an individual’s death.

There are some instances where the Administration will reassign numbers. They include situations where sequential numbers assigned to family members are causing problems; more than one person is using the same number; individuals who have objections of the use of certain sequential numbers because of religious or cultural preferences; an individual who, through identity theft, keeps getting victimized; and certain situations of abuse, including domestic abuse, harassment, or life endangerment. In these instances where the Administration assigns an individual a new social security number, their old number will no longer be available for use by anyone else.

The Social Security Administration estimates that there are approximately 435 million numbers available at this time so there is not a need to change the quantity of numbers allotted in a social security number at this time. Finally, the changes implemented in the issuing of social security numbers will not change the ability of an employer to verify an applicant’s name and social security number. Several federal and state agencies will be able to continue to verify social security numbers.

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