What does your social security number say about you? Who was issued the first ss#? Can you legally change your ss#? Can you have more than one ss#? What is the greatest number of combinations of ss# and when we will run out? Have outdated ss#'s ever been reissued? I know that these are more than one question but any answers you may have will be greatly appreciated.
This should answer most of your questions http://www.ssa.gov/history/ssn/ssncards.html
Not that this is related but my aunt (who’s about 15 years older) and I have sequential SSN’s.
Forget the government. Allow Cecil to answer all your questions.
This might help.
What’s he mean nobody wants the 000 series. I don’t remember being given a choice in the matter!
[sup]Sorry if this belongs in another forum.[/sup]
I remember in the 70s you could get as many SS#s as you wanted. You just walked in to the office and they gave you one.
My mother had a few. This caused her problems after my father’s death getting benefits though.
Which is why we changed the procedure for getting a SSN; people with more than one SSN, particularly if they worked using different numbers, cause all kinds of complications when they apply for benefits. Even worse is when someone gets a second number under a different name and doesn’t have any proof that they are the same person. I had a case once where someone had gotten two additional SSNs under two other names (IIRC it was so he could work over the allowable hours as a trucker in the 50s); when he retired and applied for benefits he had to establish that the other two “people” were really him, since each application had completely different dates of birth and parents’ names.
In reference to changing your SSN: Nowadays getting a new SSN involves being able to prove that you are being disadvantaged by someone else using your SSN. This is usually in identity theft cases. Or getting into the witness protection program.