<p>when my D’s applied to their private school, the school asked for SSN. I was hesitant to creating an “issue” so I called and they said they didn’t need it so we didn’t provide it. Neither D has given it to the college board. D1 is working her first real job (yay) and they wanted to see her card. </p>
<p>I assume we gave the SSN to the DMV when D1 got her license, but don’t remember. It is not listed on her license. They both provided it to the bank for their accounts where it is required.</p>
<p>For health insurance, we have it through my H’s company and they do not require the SSN of the minors. My company did, one reason we didn’t go with them.</p>
<p>I like the “will provide if required” or “will provide if hired” phrases, will keep those in mind.</p>
<p>Finally - something I know about. There are very strict laws regarding SSN. Every state has different laws and companies (including schools) that are not in compliance can face harsh penalties. NY is the most stringent. SSN should not be required for anything except employment/taxes purposes/SS eligibility. Employers have to check the legal status of each ee before they are hired to make sure they are not illegal (can also be used for credit checks). Also once hired it is needed for w2’s (taxes) and for SS tracking (benefits). Employers, financial institutes or other organizations may not use your ssn as an ID#, account# or a pin# (may vary by state - but from my research I think this is pretty universal). Companies that require ssn are also responsible to safeguard that number.</p>
<p>Most insurance companies no longer use SSN as ID, but we ask for it on intake forms because if for some reason the claim ends up going to collections (terrible thought but it occasionally happens) the collections dept need the SSN to move forward. </p>
<p>SSN is needed to do a background check. We always did this as part of the hiring process b/c the person we hired was handling a lot of $$ (insurance payments, patient payments,etc) and was doing our billpay (A/R) so has access to our money in lots of ways. A credit and legal background check was a must. </p>
<p>All that said, I try to not disclose mine unless absolutely necessary. My younger s’s college still identifies the students by SSN, which I hate. I try also to use only the last 4 of the ssn, or I leave out the middle 2 on a form, but until they update their database, we are stuck with this system. Grrr…</p>
<p>*How do you do the following things, all of which by Federal Law require your SSN:
leave the hospital as a newborn*</p>
<p>WHen my kids were born, you didn’t need to apply for a SS# till they were two,I believe.</p>
<p>begin employment
Since it is illegal to laminate the SS card, mine was thrashed years ago & I admit I have had several jobs, where I gave me #, but did not produce the card.</p>
<p>Banks also do not require the actual card to open an acct, just the #</p>
<p>In Connecticut hospitals routinely collect newborn information for the SSN and submit it. But that’s more likely to be for THEIR reporting purposes … or perhaps it’s a Connecticut law IDK. But I do know that the IRS frowns on parents who try to take a dependent deduction without providing the dependent’s SSN. And some health insurance plans require a dependent’s SSN at some point … ours is one.</p>
<p>EK - FYI Your employer certainly can REQUIRE that you produce a social security card to become employed and receive a paycheck.</p>
<p>In fact, any employer who does not ask for the card is being remiss. This is the whole point of a SSN - to report your income to Social Security. It is important that your income be reported accurately.</p>
<p>We not only require each new employee to bring in the card, we make a copy of it and require that the name on the card be identical to the name on the paycheck.
You would be surprised how often this is different.</p>
<p>When I was in England, I noticed they processed credit cards at the table and my card was never out of my sight. When I asked my cousin about this, she expressed surprise that Americans allow their cards to be taken from them in restaurants.</p>
<p>JustAMomOf4 - sorry to disagree with you when you say “Your employer certainly can REQUIRE that you produce a social security card to become employed and receive a paycheck. In fact, any employer who does not ask for the card is being remiss. This is the whole point of a SSN - to report your income to Social Security. It is important that your income be reported accurately. We not only require each new employee to bring in the card, we make a copy of it and require that the name on the card be identical to the name on the paycheck.”</p>
<p>An employer CANNOT “require” the SS card to be employed.</p>
<p>I was the HR rep for my office (until layoff in Dec.) - the I-9 form put out by Dept of Homeland Security is the “new” (as of late 1986) standard. It states right on the form “Employers CANNOT (form emphasis, not mine) specify which document(s) they will accept from an employee.” </p>
<p>Also on the I-9 form “Providing the Social Security number is voluntary…” In addition, “Employers may, but are not required to, photocopy the document(s) presented.”</p>
<p>This is the I-9 form and if you scroll to page 5, you’ll see there are MANY ways to provide documentation that “establishes both identity and employment authorization” with the SS number/card being only one of many.</p>
<p>The requirement is not for the I-9. It is for PAYROLL.
Your wages need to be correctly reported to the IRS and Social Security. Payroll never sees I-9 forms or any of the identification that you provide to prove you are legally able to work in the US.</p>
<p>I have seen plenty of instances where people incorrectly wrote their SSN and it comes back to haunt them and their employer.<br>
Read the back of the card.</p>
<p>Payroll receives the W2 and should not have to require a copy of the SS card. If the employee has made an error (or payroll a typo) the SS administration will make contact within 90 days and may ask for a copy of the SS card at that time. I’m still not sure your company is doing the right thing.</p>
<p>I apologize "just"aMom, but I’m not “getting” this. Are you saying that an employee doesn’t have to provide his/her employer with a SSN? Or simply that the employee doesn’t have to show the SSN card?</p>
<p>I’ve always had to give my SS# at work, for tax purposes, but never shown a SS card. Both my kids got new jobs this year, neither had to show their SS card, although they did have to produce some I-9 documentation. Good thing, because I’m pretty sure we lost the SS cards years ago.</p>