Feel like a number

I take my card and I stand in line

To make a buck I work overtime
Dear Sir letters keep coming in the mail
I work my back till it's racked with pain
The boss can't even recall my name
I show up late and I'm docked
It never fails

I feel like just another

Spoke in a great big wheel

Like a tiny blade of grass

In a great big field

To workers I'm just another drone

To Ma Bell I'm just another phone

I'm just another statistic on a sheet

To teachers I'm just another child

To IRS I'm just another file

~Feel Like a Number
Bob Seger

I remember applying for a social security number when I was in my early teens. It was a step towards becoming an adult. That's no longer the case. Since 1987, babies have typically obtained a social security number shortly after birth. I don't even recall applying for social security numbers for my two daughters. It was done in conjunction with the forms that I filled out in the hospital.

Planning to claim your child as a dependent on your income tax return? You must have a social security number to list for each dependent. That social security number will follow your child for the rest of his or her life. Names can change, but a social security number might as well be set in stone.

Have you ever wondered how we all became numbers? As part of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's "New Deal," the Social Security Act was signed into law on August 14, 1935. Taxes were collected for the first time in January 1937 and the first one-time, lump-sum payments were made that same month. Regular ongoing monthly benefits started in January 1940. Think about that -- in the 237-year history of our country, social security and the ubiquitous social security number, have only been in existence for the last 77 years. 

Social Security was created to act as a comprehensive social insurance system covering all major personal economic hazards with a special emphasis on unemployment and old age insurance. In other words, it's insurance that is administered by the federal government that is paid to people who are retired or disabled. 

What exactly is FICA? The U.S. government likes acronyms, and like many acronyms, "FICA" refers to the name of a bill passed by Congress. Social Security payroll taxes are collected under the authority of the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) of 1939. While the monies collected for Social Security are taxes, they can also be described as contributions to the social insurance system that is Social Security.  Hence, the name Federal Insurance Contributions Act. Ultimately, however, FICA is nothing more than the tax provisions of the Social Security Act, as they appear in the Internal Revenue Code.

Do I have to apply for a social security number for my child? No. Getting a Social Security number for your newborn is voluntary. However, if you opt not to get a social security number for your baby, it probably won't be long until you wish you had. The likely first hurdle will be when you want to list the child as a dependent on your income tax form. Since 1987, any dependent claimed on an income tax return must have a social security number listed. Predictably, when this requirement went into effect, many dependents "disappeared" from their parents' Forms 1040.

In addition to your tax return, you will be asked for a social security number if you want to do any of the following:

• Open a bank account for the child;
• Buy savings bonds for the child;
• Obtain medical coverage for the child; or
• Apply for government services for the child.

You may also be asked to present a social security number when you enroll your child in school. As the child gets older, it will become harder and harder to avoid getting the number.

How do you get a social security number? As I mentioned earlier, children born in the United States usually have a social security number assigned at birth. When you're filling out forms in the hospital to file your baby's birth certificate, you will probably be given an application to obtain a social security card. The state agency that issues birth certificates will share your child’s information with the Social Security Administration and they will mail the Social Security card to you.

As the births of children are reported to the Social Security Administration, the agency has compiled data on popular baby names. The most recent year available is 2011. Check out if your child's name made the list.

If, for some reason, you're applying for a social security number at a Social Security office, you must provide evidence of your child’s age, identity and U.S. citizenship status. If you are filing an application on behalf of someone else, you must show evidence of your relationship to, or responsibility for, the person for whom you are filing. You also must show proof of your identity. The agency must verify your child’s birth record, which can add up to 12 weeks to the time it takes to issue a card, by contacting the state or local government office where the birth certificate was issued. Anyone age 12 or older requesting an original Social Security number must appear in person for an interview, even if a parent or guardian will sign the application on the child’s behalf.

Tips

Identity thieves generally use your social security number to steal your identity, and once your identity is stolen, it can be difficult to clean up. Some identity thieves steal the social security numbers of children who have not used their social security number to obtain credit. Thus, your child's credit can be ruined before they even apply for their first credit card or loan. Keep your child's social security cards in a safe place. Do not carry them with you.

Victim of identity theft, fraud or misuse of your card?

Do you need to find a social security number for a family member, and you can't find the card? Look at your income tax return. If you claimed them as a dependent, their social security number should be there.

You can replace your Social Security card if it is lost or stolen. You are limited to three replacement cards in a year and 10 during your lifetime. Legal name changes and other exceptions do not count toward these limits.

Make sure that your social security number is correct whenever you use it. Writing one number incorrectly can cause problems that could come back to haunt you.

For more information, check out the website of the Social Security Administration.