A-430, Proof Required by SSA

Revision 15-4; Effective October 1, 2015

All Programs except TA 31, TP 32, TP 33, TP 34, TP 35, TP 36 and TP 45

The proof required to get an SSN is shown in the table below, except for special situations that are listed in A-431, Special Situations. The proof needed depends on:

  • place of birth;
  • citizenship status; and
  • whether the request is for an original, duplicate, or corrected SSN.
If the applicant is a/an ... applying for ... then the applicant must furnish proof of ...
U.S. citizen born in the U.S., an original SSN, age, identity, and citizenship.
U.S. citizen born in the U.S., a duplicate SSN, identity.
U.S. citizen born outside the U.S., an original SSN, age, identity, and citizenship.
U.S. citizen born outside the U.S., a duplicate SSN, identity and citizenship.
alien, an original SSN, age, identity, and lawful alien status.
alien, a duplicate SSN, identity and lawful alien status.

Note: To correct/update SSN information, the applicant must provide proof required for a duplicate SSN as well as proof showing the new information.

Acceptable Proof

The documents must be originals, or copies made by the custodian of the record, such as a county clerk or registrar. SSA will return all documents submitted to SSA.

Proof of Age and Citizenship

A birth certificate is the preferred proof.

If no birth certificate is available, a U.S.-born citizen may furnish:

  • a religious record showing age or date of birth (to establish citizenship, it must have been recorded within three months of birth);
  • a hospital birth record;
  • a notice of birth registration; or
  • other documents, at least one year old, that show:
    • name,
    • age or date of birth, and
    • place of birth.

If no birth certificate is available, a foreign-born U.S. citizen may furnish a:

  • U.S. Consular Report of Birth,
  • U.S. Citizen Identification Card (Form I-197),
  • Certificate of U.S. Citizenship (Form N-560),
  • U.S. Passport, or
  • Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550 or N-570).

Proof of lawful alien status:

  • I-551, Permanent Resident Card (Resident Alien Card);
  • I-151, Alien Registration Receipt Card;
  • I-94, Arrival-Departure Record; or
  • I-688A, Employment Authorization Card.

Proof of Identity

Proof of identity must contain enough information to identify the applicant, such as name, age or date of birth, address, signature, and physical description. Examples of acceptable documents are:

 

Identity card Adoption record
Work identification card Medical record/vaccination record
Driver's license Insurance policy
U.S. passport School record/report card
Marriage or divorce record Voter registration

A—431 Special Situations

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

All Programs except TA 31, TP 32, TP 33, TP 34, TP 35, TP 36 and TP 45

The following situations require special handling.

  • If the SSN applicant is a non-U.S. citizen who traditionally uses a name order different from the customary U.S. name order (first name, middle name, last or family name), determine name order according to U.S. custom and enter appropriately on Form H1106, Enumeration Referral.
Example: Vietnamese name on I-94: Nguyen Thi Mai
- last first middle
Enter on Form H1106: Thi Mai Nguyen

 

A—432 SSN Discrepancy Clearance Procedures

Revision 20-2; Effective April 1, 2020

All Programs except TA 31, TP 32, TP 33, TP 34, TP 35, TP 36 and TP 45

If an SSN is not verified via SOLQ, the monthly SSA interface attempts to verify a person’s SSN after certification. If a person’s SSN cannot be verified during the interface, or a duplicate SSN is found, TIERS generates either:

  • Alert 268, Social Security Administration Unable to Verify SSN (RG-83) when the information does not match. This triggers the Task List Manager (TLM) Alert 268, Agency Generated Change – Social Security Administration Unable to Verify SSN (RG-83) for Client (Individual ID) XXXXXXXXX and routes it to the Customer Care Center (CCC) for case action; or
  • Alert 269, Duplicate SSN for Individual Number, when the SSN is a duplicate. This triggers the TLM task Alert 269: Agency Generated Change - Social Security Administration Reports a Duplicate SSN XXXXXXXXXX, and routes it to the CCC for case action.  

Upon receipt of Alert 268 or Alert 269, research the case and contact the household to clear the discrepant or duplicate SSN. If staff are unable to clear the discrepant or duplicate SSN and the person does not have good cause for not providing a SSN, TIERS sends the household the following correspondence, allowing a 60-day period for the discrepancy to be cleared:

  • Form TF0001, Notice of Case Action, with the following language in the Notes section of the form:
     
    The individual is granted extra time to resolve the problem with their Social Security Number.

    We need proof that you have gone to the Social Security Administration to resolve the issue with XXXXXXX XXXXX’s Social Security Number by XX/XX/XXXX. If we don’t receive the proof, your XXXXXX benefits will end.
     
  • Form H-RG83, SSN Maintenance Memorandum, instructing the household to go the Social Security Administration (SSA) office in order correct or update the person’s Social Security records.

SSA staff will assist the person in completing an application to correct or update their Social Security records and will provide them with Form SSA-5028, Receipt for Application for a Social Security Number, as proof.  

If the person’s SSN has not been validated by the 60th day from the date the TF0001 and Form H-RG83 are sent, staff are prompted to review the case via Alert #796, Reasonable Opportunity Period has Expired for EDG #.

If the person fails to cooperate in clearing the discrepancy with the SSA or if the SSN has not been validated, follow policy in A-420, Failure to Comply to disqualify or deny the person. Note: This 60-day period is different from the reasonable opportunity period that Medicaid applicants are allowed to provide verification of U.S. citizenship or an eligible alien status, where that verification is unavailable when the person applies.  

If TIERS shows the SSN as verified, but the SSN needs to be corrected, send a memorandum with the correct SSN to State Office Data Integrity (SODI) to make a change:

SODI Section, Data Base Support

P.O. Box 14930, MC Y92-2

Or fax to Data Base Support at 512-706-7140.

Or send the request to the Data Integrity email box at HHSC_DI_Biographical Corrections@hhsc.state.tx.us.

SODI staff notifies the staff member by memo when the change is made.

Related Policy

Failure to Comply, A-420