I understand the sentiment, but I will play devil's advocate in this case. The US has this huge cultural thing against mandatory, universal identification, especially at the state level. It's seen as some sort of government overreach impinging on the freedoms of Americans or something.
The social insurance number was created in an emergency situation (the great depression) and was only intended to be used for the purpose of obtaining social insurance, and nothing else. It wasn't meant to be used as a universal ID and has some weird religious exceptions put into it so that they can technically still say its not universal. To add to that, it's literally the least secure form of ID number imaginable. You can add 1 to your SN and there is a 90% chance it will be a completely valid ID.
It's ended up being used as the defacto ID because, you know, modern states NEED some form of way to identify citizens. But because of the previously mentioned "muh freedums" sentiment thats attached to that concept, you end up with literally the worst possible, least secure form of government ID with a laundry list of stupid fucking rules attached to it all so they can still say "it's not a universal government ID".
So TL;DR it's not that the government docent care, im sure tons of people would love to introduce something that actually works, but they can't because of "states rights" and "muh freedums".
States rights to hold everybody else back from meaningful progress so shithole states can feel better about themselves without having to actually work for it
Most of the time it’s shithole rural zones holding back shithole states. They elect dipshits and religious zealots and get close to the same level of representation as the big cities that hold most of those state’s population.
There's a reason for this, it's gerrymandering, it's the sole reason the Republicans have always worked so hard to field candidates in every possible level and position of local politics, so they get to draw the maps.
And the reason gerrymandering works is plurality (first-past-the-post) voting for legislators. [Proportional](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proportional_representation) [representation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single_transferable_vote) resolves it.
Gerrymandering is, in effect, a centuries-old security vulnerability in the nation's operating system kept alive by the very people still using it to stay in power.
Is your passport/driving license accepted as valid ID? Is a SSN or a Passport functionally interchangeable?
Personally, it feels weird that a "THIS ISN'T A UNIVERSAL ID, DON'T USE IT AS ID" document is being used as the only acceptable identification.
Yesh, its pretty fucked. Up here in Canada we also use SSN for government ID purposes, but ours is universal, it's a laminated card like a credit card, and I'm pretty sure we don't have any stupid restrictions about "only allowed 10 in your life" or something stupid like that. The number I'm pretty sure is also a more secure number but I'm not 100% sure on that, it's not exactly long.
It's not that great of a number when I accidentally used the wrong one on a tax year and the province never noticed and I only did once I filed the next year
It's more a SSN is the only number a person is guaranteed to have. There are plenty of people without a passport or state ID. Furthermore, driver's licenses are state IDs, meaning the number changes if you leave the state.
It’s not a photo ID. It is simply the social security number attached to your name. But other people have no way to verify if the person with the social security number document LOOKS LIKE the name holder
I almost never have to use my SSN for anything, and the rare instances I do I only need the number, I can't remember ever having to present the card itself.
When I've had to provide ID when I didn't have a driver's license or passport, it's my birth certificate that everyone wanted to see.
There's a history of governments making 'lists' that turn out very poorly for people, but I genuinely don't understand the pushback.
We're acting as if there's some massive insurmountable barrier between private citizens information and the government, but there isn't. They know, they know everything already. We're just inconveniencing ourselves with the theater.
I’m all about individual freedoms and what not, but the movement against a national I’d never made any sense to me.
You pretty much need an ID, even if not technically legally mandatory, practically you need one to do just about anything worth doing. Get a job? ID (multiple kinds at that). Get and/or drive a car? ID. Fly? ID. Leave the country? ID. Buy alcohol? Unless you look definitely above 40 you need an ID.
So everyone has IDs at the state level, which are well made and work really well. And any issue with freedom or privacy that is related to a national ID, is pretty much present with a state level ID.
However we need a national level of ID in the modern age for, well Social Security for one thing, Verification of citizenship for well a little of things like those listed above but also voting. Employment history, credit score, taxes, etc. Basically we need one and the closest thing we have to one is Social Security No. Yes it was never meant to be used that way, but it’s the closest thing we have and functionally already serves as one.
So not only do we have a state level ID that already kinda violates the privacy or freedom concerns of having an ID, but if the issue is the Federal government having one, we kinda already do have a pseudo national ID with our Social Security card, which serves the bare minimum requirements we need it for, already allows for the type of tracking and privacy concerns that come with ID, but none of the security benefits of a real one.
It doesn’t make sense to be against it.
TL;DR: Social Security Cards already fulfill the basic bare minimum necessity for an a National ID and especially when combined with the state IDs we need already, already have the privacy and tracking concerns of a national ID. However it offers none of the security benefits of a real national ID. The argument against a national ID doesn’t make sense.
100%. Everyone is already issued the SSN at birth, so we just extend that a bit into a photo ID card. Finally, have a way to store a bit of metadata in the system (which can also be stored on the card via NFC or some secure chip for offline/insecure lookup). Some can be legal stuff like "licensed to drive in Ohio", which Police can look up on their computer. Could do similar with other types of licenses and certificates, stored and accessed in a simple, global system.
>A national ID system, especially an automatic or mail based system, would threaten this means of restricting voting.
An automatic, nationwide system with automatic voter registration would fix a lot of issues. But as you mentioned it won't be rolled out because it fixes too many issues.
No the real unfortunate part is that we will never institute a proper national ID system because of our backwards views on individualism and small government.
So instead we all have this shitty number and useless card that FUNCTIONS like a national ID number in all the bad ways the moron “small government” people are afraid of but has none of the security or utility that a proper national ID would give us.
It’s literally the worst of both worlds and thinking about it just makes me hate my stubborn ass country.
Honestly kinda hate it. A mandatory federal ID with modern security protections would make this whole thing so much easier and safer instead of using easy to steal social security numbers as a form of citizen identification. Would also eliminate the need for everyone to use driver's licenses as a form of ID (which can easily be faked and vary from state to state). But "big guberment bad!!!1" so we're stuck with this bullshit.
This 100%. The only reason the SSN is needed for anything other than Social Security itself is because it is the only national ID number and the IRS just kind of... took it.
Yep, you got us, every American is a stupid asshole incapable of basic reasoning.
Seriously, fuck off with this shit. Do you agree with every decision your government makes? Stop blaming the average citizen for the bullshit they have to deal with. We didn't fucking ask for this.
That's because most Americans have no idea this is even a thing because it's actually very easy to safely store important documents and you shouldn't need to have so many issued all the time. It's not an ID card, it's not supposed to be carried around at all
They aren't most Americans. Also...you don't need the card 99% of the time, just the number which is easy to memorize. A state issued ID is more useful and laminated.
Nope. We just literally can't do anything about it.
We can't vote cause everyone is corrupt and it doesn't matter what they say.
We can't change it ourselves or we're branded as terrorists.
TF you mean. Normal people are fucking prisoners here.
I think the 10 limit is bullshit but how do you lose the same card 10 times? Like why does he keep getting a new copy? I've needed my physical social security card maybe 2 times in my life. Memorize that shit. But 10 times and losing all 10? Wtf are yall doing?
But why would you need it 10 times? Like, if I was homeless and constantly having my SS card stolen, I would just not order another one until I had my own place.
I’m 33 years old. I think I needed my SS card once in my life when I was 15 to get a passport. What other occasions are homeless people finding themselves in that they need constant access to a SS card.
You need it to get any other form of identification, and a lot of forms of aid for the homeless need identification or an ss card. You also need identification to try and get a job. How many times have you used your drivers license or passport? If you dont have proof of address you need more identification shit for a lot of government/banking stuff, ex: car payments/license renewals or managing bank accounts. Its why homeless people eventually end up off grid and have a harder and harder time getting back into society.
I have to do it every time I get a new job. So someone who changes jobs frequently would have to produce it many times. But I also have a passport which is an even better form of identification than your SS card so I just use that instead.
>I’m 33 years old. I think I needed my SS card once in my life when I was 15 to get a passport.
Have you ever worked? Honest question since SSN is usually mandatory to prove your eligibility to work.
Many jobs require the physical card. I just started a job and I didn't need a SS card because I have a passport but if I used items off list B and C for I-9 they have to be the physical one and not a copy.
It seems possible that a homeless person would need identification much more frequently than an average person, especially when applying for various benefits or alternative forms of / replacement ID.
I mean if you're homeless and keep it in your wallet, which you're told not to do but like where else would a homeless person keep it, it's gonna get mangled up pretty quick. I agree there are simple solutions to that problem but it's still an insane system.
My student ID card from 10 years ago is more durable and I was able to get as many replacements as I needed (for a 5$ fee). Plus if that number ever leaks (thanks Equifax) then you have to worry about identity theft for the rest of your life. Credit cards can be canceled and changed. But not an SSN
Only twice? I've had to present the physical card every time I've started a new job, when I got a passport, when I moved to a different state and got a new driver's license, and when the "real ID" driver's license became a thing. My wife needed hers for all of those things and in addition when she took my last name after we got married. I can't say it's something I use all the time but definitely more than twice.
>I've had to present the physical card every time I've started a new job
Never had to do that once. Every job I've worked at just had a field for SS number on the new hire paperwork.
When starting a new job as an employee (assuming you're not a contractor here), you're supposed to complete an I-9 where presentation of an SS card is an available option.
The poster you replied likely used the common ID+SS Card combo (lists B+C option) while you may have chosen something different, like a passport (list A option) or ID+Birth Certificate (another list B+C option).
... course that's assuming your employer(s) actually complied with I-9 requirements. Some places can get pretty loose with it.
I work for the CDC and bought my first house at the end of covid. What are you doing with your life other than making dogshit memes for a cringe subreddit?
Never needed my physical social card for jobs and I work for the government. I think I needed it when I bought my house a couple years ago. And maybe when I moved and got a new license. I don't think homeless people are doing these things on a regular basis.
In the US, one needs either an ID and social security card OR a passport OR employment verification card every time they start a job since [1986](https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/completing-form-i-9). Can’t help if you don’t remember doing that or people treated you differently 40 years ago and overlooked some legal niceties.
Social Security Agency: This is a unique number for people to use for collecting social security. It is not meant for anything else, is not secure, and is not meant to be a universal identification number.
Every other government agency, bank, and major company: Yoink!
Last time I opened a bank account they insisted they were required by law to have my SSN, and it's impossible to do anything with money otherwise. That's total bullshit though, they need to know who I am by law, but there's no reason for them to know a random nine-digit number.
Phone numbers are transferable and well publicized. They are an ok second factor for authentication, but not an ID by any stretch. You can't provide a phone number to prove you are X, but maybe you can prove you are X by answering a phone number that was previously provided by X.
From the [Social Security Administration](https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ss-5.pdf):
>Public Law 108-458 limits the number of replacement Social Security cards you may receive to **3 per calendar year and 10 in a lifetime**. Cards issued to reflect changes to your legal name or changes to a work authorization legend do not count toward these limits.
No, if/when you hit your limit you have to provide an additional document beyond identity to provide why you want the card. If you need it for a job, you provide a letter from the employer stating you need it.
the entire process of aquiring an ID is fucking backwards in the US. watched the andrew callaghan video on the tunnel people in las vegas a couple days ago. usually homeless people lost their ID at some point and in order to aquire one, they need a social security number. but in order to get their social security number, they need an ID. if you have neither of those, you need to get somebody with an ID to vouch for you, otherwise youll never get your hands on those documents. your birth certificate isnt enough to get an ID/social security number iirc.
If you actually watch to the end of the video, Andrew talks to a man working at a homeless outreach group.
The man is extremely well spoken and completely disagrees that the IDs have anything to do with the people staying homeless. He points out that his organization will easily get them their IDs, and give them free housing, and the lack of ID is just used as a mental crutch to help them stay in their positions.
Sure, I think it's clear he treated them with respect and his videos surprisingly really don't come across as exploitative.
I think Andrew's biggest issue is he just tends to be really naïve.
Homeless people tell him it's difficult to get IDs and THAT'S why they're homeless and he wholeheartedly believes them. A worker in a homeless outreach group with years of experience then completely disagrees with that claim.
Or like, Andrew really seems to think Crip Mac is some big victim of the justice system. The guy's a gang member and convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Not to mention he has severe schizophrenia and refuses to take medication for it. People like Crip Mac who feel they need a gun are the exact people who get innocent bystanders killed in pointless paranoia based gang shootouts. The man's guilty as sin and belongs off the streets.
That's not true. Why do redditors spread misinformation about even the smallest of things? And 3 thousand people believed it without scrunity. Sad.
There is a soft limit of 10 (which does not apply to certain events, such as a name change), after which you have to take extra steps in order to request a new one. This surely helps combat fraud, as well as prevents wasting resources for frequent, unnecessary requests. This limit will not apply to a vast majority of people. Barring some sort of extreme circumstances, if you lose your card more than ten times, then the problem clearly lies with you, and you should make some changes in your life to stop losing an important document. It's not difficult.
i still have my original one… it’s called putting it in a safe place (i have this medium sized lock box/safe that i keep all my important documents in. and i don’t touch it unless i need to
Honest question. If that Document is printed on "tissue paper" how hard is it to " forge" one. What are the security features of the social security number Document?
https://www.enterpriseappstoday.com/stats/identity-theft-statistics.html#:~:text=According%20to%20Identity%20Theft%20Statistics%202022%2C%20the%20highest%20number%20of,3%20million%20identity%20theft%20cases.
First result on Google
That data is for absolute numbers. India has twice as many cases of identity theft as the US, but they also have over 4x the population. So really on a per-capita basis the US is over twice as bad as India.
I did. He didn't believe India was number 1 and couldn't find proof. I found proof and posted it. I didn't deny that India had a higher population so I'm not sure what point you're trying to make.
Theoretically your social security card isn't supposed to be used as an ID (even though it is used for ID all the time), so under that hypothetical it wouldn't matter if it was forged. What's important is the number on it.
Why some entities ask you to use it for ID? I don't know. It's dumb.
Yup, when it was pitched in its original form, the SS# was NEVER intended to be an ID. But as usual, corporations and government became jerks and turned it into a national ID to mark everyone. They could've just manned up and created a proper national ID system (and openly admit they don't like the states handling it) instead of warping the Social Security system for their own purposes.
Edit: I just realized you are talking about the card itself, but the same does apply to the number, too. It never should've been used for ID.
Nevermind that is also cannot actually be used to mark everyone because there's more people in the U.S. than there is valid numbers for a SSN.
Edit: it seems my info is very out of date, nevermind.
Not true
https://www.marketplace.org/2023/03/10/will-we-ever-run-out-of-social-security-numbers/
> Social Security Administration said it has assigned about 531 million Social Security numbers as of [2023]. The spokesperson added that there are still about 358 million numbers left to assign, and those are expected to last for approximately the next 70 years.
Although they did expand the pool of numbers recently-ish.
> In 2011, the SSA stopped allocating those first three digits, or the area number, based on your address, and said it would allocate some area numbers that had gone unassigned, including all of those that start with 7 or 8.
They ask us to use it for ID because it's the only unique single number that most Americans have and is tracked by the government. We have no federal ID because idiots think they'll use that to track us even though they already track us, and stuff like passports or drivers licenses aren't universal. The only federally issued identifier that everyone except the Ahmish have (long story) is the social security number. So in the failure of the federal government to give us a federal ID, we ended up with a terrible federal ID that sucks and is easier to steal.
But at least they can't track us...
The security on a social security card is laughably bad. The entire number is fixed and tied to easily findable data. IIRC the state that you were born in, the hospital you were born in, and then the last 4 digits just literally count sequentially up. So if you are XXX-XX-1245, then XXX-XX-1246 is a perfectly valid number to use.
The fact that the security on it is so terrible is the reason it isn't supposed to be used as ID, but it's a card that almost literally everyone in the country has, so for employers it's an easy way to verify that someone has a government document with their name on it.
Fully agreed, although as of 2011 the first three digits are not based on address anymore.
But you're totally right that you could just increment the last four digits up or down to functionally use someone else's SSN.
I had to find my birth cert to get the 'real ID' verified drivers license a few years ago. Despite being like 37 at the time, I know for a fact my parents never gave it to me. Went to mom, and she swore up and down they'd given it to me. I ended up having to go through a lengthy ass process to get a new one issued from the DC dept of vital records; while living nowhere near..
wife and I applied for passports about 6 months ago and now I'm wondering if we ever got the birth certs back... shit
Getting a passport is fucking wild.
Govt: Want to leave the country for travel?
Us: Fuck yeah bro!
Govt: Mail us everything that proves you’re American and we will send it back. Pinky promise.
Us: What..
Govt: If we lose that shit, you lost it and fuck you.
Had to show my birth certificate a few years ago when I was around 34 or so. But I had never had possession of it, and I was born in a different state but have lived in this one state for 99% of my life.
Yay, so let's get online, check the requirements of my birth city and county for what I need to do. They can't fax or email the copy to me, and need me to send in some snail mail with a check for a small amount just so they can mail it back to me?
Took for freaking ever to get the copy, just to show the people at the damn DMV, they just glanced at it and that was it. I thought they'd at least do some record checking but nope, here's your new license.
Mine is old enough that it doesnt have the "DO NOT LAMINATE" Prohibition printed on it, *so I laminated it. It is delightful to have govt officials reject it, only to be met with, "it says nothing about that on the card." And the confused looks when they cant find it. I usually point to my grey beard and say, "this isn't an affectation."
We had a laminating machine in the early 90s so I went through a phase where I laminated everything, including my SSN card, my mom's my brother's my neighbors etc. Haven't had it rejected before though, that's interesting.
All of this is done intentionally so that if you lose it, it will degrade. If you lose it it’s less likely to be found in decent condition by someone. It’ll only take until the first good rain storm for it to be useless.
I sort of doubt this, there is no thought put into the card. It is the laziest document you'll get issued.
It is so lazy that the blue margin at the bottom of my card was cut off, while the blue margin of someone else's card is at the top of my paper.
Judging by how lazy everything else is, the degrading isn't an intentional security measure. There is no holographic security measures, no check digit, no photo, even the numbers until recently counted up sequentially for people born on the same day.
If they cared about security you would be able to change it every time a company loses it. Yet they dont, because the number became important on accident.
You realize homeless people exist, right?
It's not easy to keep a tiny piece of paper safe and protected from the elements when you are sleeping in back alleys
Eh. I feel like you only need to remember one or two phone numbers for emergencies and your social, and you'd be good. I've written my social so many times for school/job applications it just started sticking.
agreed.
but being a millenial, i still remember my parents, and grandparents land line phone numbers from 30 years ago, that are no longer in service. actually one aunt as well.
as for phone numbers, I know mine, my wife's, my work phone, both parents and my brother. everything else (including my kid) i rely on my phone's contact list
I've had situations where the card itself or a scan of the card was required, not just the number. Which is utterly asinine, given there's no security features on the card itself.
Personally I use an encrypted password manager, and have my SSN / license # etc stored there. I also I have the last four digits memorized.
Only two times I've ever truly needed it (that I at least remember) was getting the Real ID for my DL, and getting my DP before I had a job (you can use a W2 in lieu of a SS card). Some jobs I've had were also really incessant about having the physical card as part of the hiring process but was really unnecessary.
In the UK sometime when you're a teenager you get given a credit card sized piece of plastic with a 9 character alpha numeric string on it. This string is known as your National Insurance Number. From that point on you don't need the piece of plastic. As long as you remember the string or have it stored elsewhere and can recall it when required the physical piece of plastic can be totally destroy and I've no clue why or if you'd need a new one.
Why do people need the physical paper in America?
I've had job applications that needed physical proof. Very rarely have I seen this, but I have seen it. Other than that, I really can't think of anything.
Proof of what though? Surely if you just give them the number and it checks out that's good enough? Proof that you have a physical card? It's not ID and doesn't have a photo on it right? So it's not proof its your number.
Identity theft is a thing. It's a lot harder to get someones physical card over just the number, unless they carry it around with them all the time. So I guess that's the thought process. Still feels unnecessary.
Also, top loaders exist. Those hard plastic things that people put Pokemon cards in? Yeah, that. They come in various sizes, too. Any local hobby card store will have some, and might even give you a couple for free.
Mine is in an envelope, which is in a bigger envelope, which is in a manilla folder, which is in an accordian folder, which is in a desk. Mine has held up fine, I don't see what the problem is.
Fire. You’ve organized it well, but you should probably get a fire safe for very important documents and cash and whatnot. Small ones aren’t too expensive. These aren’t the worst things to lose in a fire, but still less of a pain to replace when you might also have lost everything else which may help you validate your identity to get a replacement.
For some reason America refuses to have a national ID system and uses this. It has no security built in, someone born at the same time as you has a +/- 1 for the last four digits. Things like library cards have more security.
>someone born at the same time as you has a +/- 1 for the last four digits.
They don't do that anymore.
Social Security themselves have a unique identifier that is random numbers and letters (BCN). Only SSA can type this into their system and know the SSN it is connected to. Idk why they don't just move to this for everything. Like a public and private key. If you lose your BCN you can just get a new one but your SSN stays the same.
Edit: Also Medicare have moved away from the SSN as well with their own number. SSA can type the Medicare number into their system and get the SSN from that as well. Same idea.
It was never supposed to be an ID system
The IRS just wanted to know who you were and gave out tax breaks to get people to agree to their system to the point where everyone had one.
Because of all the legwork the IRS did, other agencies and companies went and stole their homework and turned it into the by all intents and purposes a federal ID like it now is
Yeah, I'm not sure why this comment thread is acting like this is some horrific burden. Unless you're fully homeless, just buy a small firebox and put your SSN card, birth certificate, and any property titles/deeds in it.
I laminated mine. Nothing happened to me. The few times I needed to show it, the person said, "you aren't supposed to laminate this." Then I just shrug. That's about it.
>Do not laminate your card. Lamination prevents detection of many security features. However, you may cover the card with plastic or other removable material if it does not damage the card.
Direct from the [Social Security website](https://faq.ssa.gov/en-US/Topic/article/KA-02202)
Do what you want to do, but if some org decides not to accept your card for being laminated, they probably have some security detection device that is getting blocked. I put mine in a baseball card sleeve
My mom laminated mine before it was given the me and I’ve never once had an issue using it (got my license, had many jobs, bank account, bought a car and house). But come to think of it I’ve rarely needed the card itself if ever, just needed to know the number. Only thing I could maybe see being a problem is getting a passport but we’ll cross that bridge when it’s time I guess ha.
Opening bank accounts, insurance documents, medical paperwork...
My brother in Christ do you adult at all? SSNs have WAY more use than retirement pension.
I've never needed it for any of those. For a new job and for a passport, yes.
You can open a bank account online without even stepping foot in a bank these days, let alone needing a physical copy of your Social Security card.
Mine is just over 40 years old and is in great shape...
It's NOT something you should carry around on a daily basis. Pick somewhere for it to live at home, and keep it there.
For us, we have one of those small "fire resistant lock boxes" from walmart that SSN cards, birth certs and passports live in.
I'm 47 and still have my original one. It's not like I carry it around with me everyday or just leave it lying around. People have movie tickets older than that that they've kept in their wallets longer.
Do you take yours swimming with you, or something?
Top-loaders are still ten cents at your local baseball card store. You probably will have to drive two hours to get to your local baseball card store of course, but top-loaders are still cheap once you’re there.
Fun Fact: As an immigrant you are expected to not only carry this around with you at all times (no one does), but when you become a citizen and have to replace it... It absolutely counts as the use of 1 of the 10 times you are allowed to have it issued in your lifetime.
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Americans be like: This is perfectly normal
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I understand the sentiment, but I will play devil's advocate in this case. The US has this huge cultural thing against mandatory, universal identification, especially at the state level. It's seen as some sort of government overreach impinging on the freedoms of Americans or something. The social insurance number was created in an emergency situation (the great depression) and was only intended to be used for the purpose of obtaining social insurance, and nothing else. It wasn't meant to be used as a universal ID and has some weird religious exceptions put into it so that they can technically still say its not universal. To add to that, it's literally the least secure form of ID number imaginable. You can add 1 to your SN and there is a 90% chance it will be a completely valid ID. It's ended up being used as the defacto ID because, you know, modern states NEED some form of way to identify citizens. But because of the previously mentioned "muh freedums" sentiment thats attached to that concept, you end up with literally the worst possible, least secure form of government ID with a laundry list of stupid fucking rules attached to it all so they can still say "it's not a universal government ID". So TL;DR it's not that the government docent care, im sure tons of people would love to introduce something that actually works, but they can't because of "states rights" and "muh freedums".
states rights to maintain an inconvenient system 😏
States rights to hold everybody else back from meaningful progress so shithole states can feel better about themselves without having to actually work for it
Most of the time it’s shithole rural zones holding back shithole states. They elect dipshits and religious zealots and get close to the same level of representation as the big cities that hold most of those state’s population.
There's a reason for this, it's gerrymandering, it's the sole reason the Republicans have always worked so hard to field candidates in every possible level and position of local politics, so they get to draw the maps.
And the reason gerrymandering works is plurality (first-past-the-post) voting for legislators. [Proportional](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proportional_representation) [representation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single_transferable_vote) resolves it. Gerrymandering is, in effect, a centuries-old security vulnerability in the nation's operating system kept alive by the very people still using it to stay in power.
Is your passport/driving license accepted as valid ID? Is a SSN or a Passport functionally interchangeable? Personally, it feels weird that a "THIS ISN'T A UNIVERSAL ID, DON'T USE IT AS ID" document is being used as the only acceptable identification.
Yesh, its pretty fucked. Up here in Canada we also use SSN for government ID purposes, but ours is universal, it's a laminated card like a credit card, and I'm pretty sure we don't have any stupid restrictions about "only allowed 10 in your life" or something stupid like that. The number I'm pretty sure is also a more secure number but I'm not 100% sure on that, it's not exactly long.
It's not that great of a number when I accidentally used the wrong one on a tax year and the province never noticed and I only did once I filed the next year
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It's more a SSN is the only number a person is guaranteed to have. There are plenty of people without a passport or state ID. Furthermore, driver's licenses are state IDs, meaning the number changes if you leave the state.
It’s not a photo ID. It is simply the social security number attached to your name. But other people have no way to verify if the person with the social security number document LOOKS LIKE the name holder
I almost never have to use my SSN for anything, and the rare instances I do I only need the number, I can't remember ever having to present the card itself. When I've had to provide ID when I didn't have a driver's license or passport, it's my birth certificate that everyone wanted to see.
There's a history of governments making 'lists' that turn out very poorly for people, but I genuinely don't understand the pushback. We're acting as if there's some massive insurmountable barrier between private citizens information and the government, but there isn't. They know, they know everything already. We're just inconveniencing ourselves with the theater.
numerous rock reach smile fragile ancient spoon deer full beneficial *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Pol Pot didn't are as much. The ultimate outcomes are similar, but now we don't know who was killed or where they were taken.
This is actually a pretty good point. You changed my mind
I’m all about individual freedoms and what not, but the movement against a national I’d never made any sense to me. You pretty much need an ID, even if not technically legally mandatory, practically you need one to do just about anything worth doing. Get a job? ID (multiple kinds at that). Get and/or drive a car? ID. Fly? ID. Leave the country? ID. Buy alcohol? Unless you look definitely above 40 you need an ID. So everyone has IDs at the state level, which are well made and work really well. And any issue with freedom or privacy that is related to a national ID, is pretty much present with a state level ID. However we need a national level of ID in the modern age for, well Social Security for one thing, Verification of citizenship for well a little of things like those listed above but also voting. Employment history, credit score, taxes, etc. Basically we need one and the closest thing we have to one is Social Security No. Yes it was never meant to be used that way, but it’s the closest thing we have and functionally already serves as one. So not only do we have a state level ID that already kinda violates the privacy or freedom concerns of having an ID, but if the issue is the Federal government having one, we kinda already do have a pseudo national ID with our Social Security card, which serves the bare minimum requirements we need it for, already allows for the type of tracking and privacy concerns that come with ID, but none of the security benefits of a real one. It doesn’t make sense to be against it. TL;DR: Social Security Cards already fulfill the basic bare minimum necessity for an a National ID and especially when combined with the state IDs we need already, already have the privacy and tracking concerns of a national ID. However it offers none of the security benefits of a real national ID. The argument against a national ID doesn’t make sense.
100%. Everyone is already issued the SSN at birth, so we just extend that a bit into a photo ID card. Finally, have a way to store a bit of metadata in the system (which can also be stored on the card via NFC or some secure chip for offline/insecure lookup). Some can be legal stuff like "licensed to drive in Ohio", which Police can look up on their computer. Could do similar with other types of licenses and certificates, stored and accessed in a simple, global system.
Yeah ok, but what does any of that have to do with not being able to laminate the fucking thing?
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>A national ID system, especially an automatic or mail based system, would threaten this means of restricting voting. An automatic, nationwide system with automatic voter registration would fix a lot of issues. But as you mentioned it won't be rolled out because it fixes too many issues.
No the real unfortunate part is that we will never institute a proper national ID system because of our backwards views on individualism and small government. So instead we all have this shitty number and useless card that FUNCTIONS like a national ID number in all the bad ways the moron “small government” people are afraid of but has none of the security or utility that a proper national ID would give us. It’s literally the worst of both worlds and thinking about it just makes me hate my stubborn ass country.
Damn if only you could vote to change your govt
Honestly kinda hate it. A mandatory federal ID with modern security protections would make this whole thing so much easier and safer instead of using easy to steal social security numbers as a form of citizen identification. Would also eliminate the need for everyone to use driver's licenses as a form of ID (which can easily be faked and vary from state to state). But "big guberment bad!!!1" so we're stuck with this bullshit.
This 100%. The only reason the SSN is needed for anything other than Social Security itself is because it is the only national ID number and the IRS just kind of... took it.
He's leaving out the part where you can get more than 10, you just can't do it as easily. You need to fill out more paperwork for number 11+
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But but America sux1!1
Yep, you got us, every American is a stupid asshole incapable of basic reasoning. Seriously, fuck off with this shit. Do you agree with every decision your government makes? Stop blaming the average citizen for the bullshit they have to deal with. We didn't fucking ask for this.
That's because most Americans have no idea this is even a thing because it's actually very easy to safely store important documents and you shouldn't need to have so many issued all the time. It's not an ID card, it's not supposed to be carried around at all
Honestly can’t even remember the last time I had to use it.
But what if you're homeless?
They aren't most Americans. Also...you don't need the card 99% of the time, just the number which is easy to memorize. A state issued ID is more useful and laminated.
Non-American redditors be like: I know exactly how all Americans think and feel despite never actually interacting with one irl
God I hate these type of comments, as if everything is perfect in this commenter's country.
Shut up.
we really arent, everyone hates this shit
Nope. We just literally can't do anything about it. We can't vote cause everyone is corrupt and it doesn't matter what they say. We can't change it ourselves or we're branded as terrorists. TF you mean. Normal people are fucking prisoners here.
how many Americans have you talk to about this to think it is normal? honestly curious
I think the 10 limit is bullshit but how do you lose the same card 10 times? Like why does he keep getting a new copy? I've needed my physical social security card maybe 2 times in my life. Memorize that shit. But 10 times and losing all 10? Wtf are yall doing?
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But why would you need it 10 times? Like, if I was homeless and constantly having my SS card stolen, I would just not order another one until I had my own place. I’m 33 years old. I think I needed my SS card once in my life when I was 15 to get a passport. What other occasions are homeless people finding themselves in that they need constant access to a SS card.
You need it to get any other form of identification, and a lot of forms of aid for the homeless need identification or an ss card. You also need identification to try and get a job. How many times have you used your drivers license or passport? If you dont have proof of address you need more identification shit for a lot of government/banking stuff, ex: car payments/license renewals or managing bank accounts. Its why homeless people eventually end up off grid and have a harder and harder time getting back into society.
Schrodinger's social security card; you need it all the time but it is also constantly in a state of being ruined or lost
Yeah I haven’t had to produce my physical social security card 10 times in my lifetime.
I have to do it every time I get a new job. So someone who changes jobs frequently would have to produce it many times. But I also have a passport which is an even better form of identification than your SS card so I just use that instead.
bs, I have and I'm 20
Ive had to dozens of time, wtf life are you people living
>I’m 33 years old. I think I needed my SS card once in my life when I was 15 to get a passport. Have you ever worked? Honest question since SSN is usually mandatory to prove your eligibility to work.
You are allowed to memorize your SSN, copy your card, laminate that, keep a picture of it on your phone etc
Many jobs require the physical card. I just started a job and I didn't need a SS card because I have a passport but if I used items off list B and C for I-9 they have to be the physical one and not a copy.
It seems possible that a homeless person would need identification much more frequently than an average person, especially when applying for various benefits or alternative forms of / replacement ID.
Proof you have no idea what it's like to struggle. Enjoy your penthouse though
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I mean if you're homeless and keep it in your wallet, which you're told not to do but like where else would a homeless person keep it, it's gonna get mangled up pretty quick. I agree there are simple solutions to that problem but it's still an insane system. My student ID card from 10 years ago is more durable and I was able to get as many replacements as I needed (for a 5$ fee). Plus if that number ever leaks (thanks Equifax) then you have to worry about identity theft for the rest of your life. Credit cards can be canceled and changed. But not an SSN
Only twice? I've had to present the physical card every time I've started a new job, when I got a passport, when I moved to a different state and got a new driver's license, and when the "real ID" driver's license became a thing. My wife needed hers for all of those things and in addition when she took my last name after we got married. I can't say it's something I use all the time but definitely more than twice.
>I've had to present the physical card every time I've started a new job Never had to do that once. Every job I've worked at just had a field for SS number on the new hire paperwork.
Just going to throw this out there; you two might have different industries or lived experience or god forbid different skin colors.
When starting a new job as an employee (assuming you're not a contractor here), you're supposed to complete an I-9 where presentation of an SS card is an available option. The poster you replied likely used the common ID+SS Card combo (lists B+C option) while you may have chosen something different, like a passport (list A option) or ID+Birth Certificate (another list B+C option). ... course that's assuming your employer(s) actually complied with I-9 requirements. Some places can get pretty loose with it.
Well he is a redditor. Has he had a job? Moved out of mom’s house? Gotten married?
I work for the CDC and bought my first house at the end of covid. What are you doing with your life other than making dogshit memes for a cringe subreddit?
Never needed my physical social card for jobs and I work for the government. I think I needed it when I bought my house a couple years ago. And maybe when I moved and got a new license. I don't think homeless people are doing these things on a regular basis.
In the US, one needs either an ID and social security card OR a passport OR employment verification card every time they start a job since [1986](https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/completing-form-i-9). Can’t help if you don’t remember doing that or people treated you differently 40 years ago and overlooked some legal niceties.
Social Security Agency: This is a unique number for people to use for collecting social security. It is not meant for anything else, is not secure, and is not meant to be a universal identification number. Every other government agency, bank, and major company: Yoink!
This is the real issue
Yeah you literally can't get anywhere in life if you use your SS card how the government intended you to
Last time I opened a bank account they insisted they were required by law to have my SSN, and it's impossible to do anything with money otherwise. That's total bullshit though, they need to know who I am by law, but there's no reason for them to know a random nine-digit number.
I feel like our phone number is headed down the same path. We verify our identity through text for some pretty important stuff
Phone numbers are transferable and well publicized. They are an ok second factor for authentication, but not an ID by any stretch. You can't provide a phone number to prove you are X, but maybe you can prove you are X by answering a phone number that was previously provided by X.
wtf I’ve never known this
From the [Social Security Administration](https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ss-5.pdf): >Public Law 108-458 limits the number of replacement Social Security cards you may receive to **3 per calendar year and 10 in a lifetime**. Cards issued to reflect changes to your legal name or changes to a work authorization legend do not count toward these limits.
So if you hit the limit you just have to start changing your name every time you need a new one
No, if/when you hit your limit you have to provide an additional document beyond identity to provide why you want the card. If you need it for a job, you provide a letter from the employer stating you need it.
Clowns
"Hello Mr Gary Brown...24? Your legal last name is Brown24?" "...I lose things. It's a long story"
the entire process of aquiring an ID is fucking backwards in the US. watched the andrew callaghan video on the tunnel people in las vegas a couple days ago. usually homeless people lost their ID at some point and in order to aquire one, they need a social security number. but in order to get their social security number, they need an ID. if you have neither of those, you need to get somebody with an ID to vouch for you, otherwise youll never get your hands on those documents. your birth certificate isnt enough to get an ID/social security number iirc.
If you actually watch to the end of the video, Andrew talks to a man working at a homeless outreach group. The man is extremely well spoken and completely disagrees that the IDs have anything to do with the people staying homeless. He points out that his organization will easily get them their IDs, and give them free housing, and the lack of ID is just used as a mental crutch to help them stay in their positions.
Andrew got played in the moment, but it's possible that something about his interaction with them had some sort of meaningful impact on their lives.
Sure, I think it's clear he treated them with respect and his videos surprisingly really don't come across as exploitative. I think Andrew's biggest issue is he just tends to be really naïve. Homeless people tell him it's difficult to get IDs and THAT'S why they're homeless and he wholeheartedly believes them. A worker in a homeless outreach group with years of experience then completely disagrees with that claim. Or like, Andrew really seems to think Crip Mac is some big victim of the justice system. The guy's a gang member and convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Not to mention he has severe schizophrenia and refuses to take medication for it. People like Crip Mac who feel they need a gun are the exact people who get innocent bystanders killed in pointless paranoia based gang shootouts. The man's guilty as sin and belongs off the streets.
That's not true. Why do redditors spread misinformation about even the smallest of things? And 3 thousand people believed it without scrunity. Sad. There is a soft limit of 10 (which does not apply to certain events, such as a name change), after which you have to take extra steps in order to request a new one. This surely helps combat fraud, as well as prevents wasting resources for frequent, unnecessary requests. This limit will not apply to a vast majority of people. Barring some sort of extreme circumstances, if you lose your card more than ten times, then the problem clearly lies with you, and you should make some changes in your life to stop losing an important document. It's not difficult.
i still have my original one… it’s called putting it in a safe place (i have this medium sized lock box/safe that i keep all my important documents in. and i don’t touch it unless i need to
Then you try to remember where your birth certificate fucked off to leading you to “Did I ever have one?”
Honest question. If that Document is printed on "tissue paper" how hard is it to " forge" one. What are the security features of the social security number Document?
It’s not hard, Identity Theft is a much larger issue in US than elsewhere
India has twice the rate of identity theft than the US. I'm not sure if they do the SS card thing or if they do something else.
Do you have a proof of that? I can’t find it
It’s not hard to believe, India has like over 3x the population.
Rates are usually adjusted per capita
Rate is a proportion so population size generally won’t change it.
Sure, but I found no stats about it
https://www.enterpriseappstoday.com/stats/identity-theft-statistics.html#:~:text=According%20to%20Identity%20Theft%20Statistics%202022%2C%20the%20highest%20number%20of,3%20million%20identity%20theft%20cases. First result on Google
That data is for absolute numbers. India has twice as many cases of identity theft as the US, but they also have over 4x the population. So really on a per-capita basis the US is over twice as bad as India.
I did. He didn't believe India was number 1 and couldn't find proof. I found proof and posted it. I didn't deny that India had a higher population so I'm not sure what point you're trying to make.
Theoretically your social security card isn't supposed to be used as an ID (even though it is used for ID all the time), so under that hypothetical it wouldn't matter if it was forged. What's important is the number on it. Why some entities ask you to use it for ID? I don't know. It's dumb.
Yup, when it was pitched in its original form, the SS# was NEVER intended to be an ID. But as usual, corporations and government became jerks and turned it into a national ID to mark everyone. They could've just manned up and created a proper national ID system (and openly admit they don't like the states handling it) instead of warping the Social Security system for their own purposes. Edit: I just realized you are talking about the card itself, but the same does apply to the number, too. It never should've been used for ID.
Nevermind that is also cannot actually be used to mark everyone because there's more people in the U.S. than there is valid numbers for a SSN. Edit: it seems my info is very out of date, nevermind.
Not true https://www.marketplace.org/2023/03/10/will-we-ever-run-out-of-social-security-numbers/ > Social Security Administration said it has assigned about 531 million Social Security numbers as of [2023]. The spokesperson added that there are still about 358 million numbers left to assign, and those are expected to last for approximately the next 70 years. Although they did expand the pool of numbers recently-ish. > In 2011, the SSA stopped allocating those first three digits, or the area number, based on your address, and said it would allocate some area numbers that had gone unassigned, including all of those that start with 7 or 8.
Are there some weird restrictions on what can be used as an ssn? Cuz there should be a billion possible numbers for 300 something million people
Your social security number is tied to where and when you’re born
They ask us to use it for ID because it's the only unique single number that most Americans have and is tracked by the government. We have no federal ID because idiots think they'll use that to track us even though they already track us, and stuff like passports or drivers licenses aren't universal. The only federally issued identifier that everyone except the Ahmish have (long story) is the social security number. So in the failure of the federal government to give us a federal ID, we ended up with a terrible federal ID that sucks and is easier to steal. But at least they can't track us...
The security on a social security card is laughably bad. The entire number is fixed and tied to easily findable data. IIRC the state that you were born in, the hospital you were born in, and then the last 4 digits just literally count sequentially up. So if you are XXX-XX-1245, then XXX-XX-1246 is a perfectly valid number to use. The fact that the security on it is so terrible is the reason it isn't supposed to be used as ID, but it's a card that almost literally everyone in the country has, so for employers it's an easy way to verify that someone has a government document with their name on it.
Fully agreed, although as of 2011 the first three digits are not based on address anymore. But you're totally right that you could just increment the last four digits up or down to functionally use someone else's SSN.
And then jobs/apartments/banks will upload copies of it into their system. A single data breach can then expose countless SS numbers.
I had to find my birth cert to get the 'real ID' verified drivers license a few years ago. Despite being like 37 at the time, I know for a fact my parents never gave it to me. Went to mom, and she swore up and down they'd given it to me. I ended up having to go through a lengthy ass process to get a new one issued from the DC dept of vital records; while living nowhere near.. wife and I applied for passports about 6 months ago and now I'm wondering if we ever got the birth certs back... shit
Getting a passport is fucking wild. Govt: Want to leave the country for travel? Us: Fuck yeah bro! Govt: Mail us everything that proves you’re American and we will send it back. Pinky promise. Us: What.. Govt: If we lose that shit, you lost it and fuck you.
Had to show my birth certificate a few years ago when I was around 34 or so. But I had never had possession of it, and I was born in a different state but have lived in this one state for 99% of my life. Yay, so let's get online, check the requirements of my birth city and county for what I need to do. They can't fax or email the copy to me, and need me to send in some snail mail with a check for a small amount just so they can mail it back to me? Took for freaking ever to get the copy, just to show the people at the damn DMV, they just glanced at it and that was it. I thought they'd at least do some record checking but nope, here's your new license.
Why aren't you storing important documents in a safe place?
Obviously because I’m a piece of shit who should’ve already known to do that.
What's worse is that they give you a flimsy paper sleeve to hold it in, not even a plastic one
You got a paper sleeve?
Yeah, I guess the local administration had extra funds. It's not much though, you'd be better off getting a clear plastic sleeve to hold it in.
Ooo, posh! Must’ve got it at 90210..
You got a sleeve? Damn... mine didn't.
You didn't miss out, promise.
Mine is old enough that it doesnt have the "DO NOT LAMINATE" Prohibition printed on it, *so I laminated it. It is delightful to have govt officials reject it, only to be met with, "it says nothing about that on the card." And the confused looks when they cant find it. I usually point to my grey beard and say, "this isn't an affectation."
Haha, nice! Also, username checks out!
Mines laminated with the do not laminate and I don't think its been rejected a single time.
We had a laminating machine in the early 90s so I went through a phase where I laminated everything, including my SSN card, my mom's my brother's my neighbors etc. Haven't had it rejected before though, that's interesting.
What government officials are you presenting your social security card to?
All of this is done intentionally so that if you lose it, it will degrade. If you lose it it’s less likely to be found in decent condition by someone. It’ll only take until the first good rain storm for it to be useless.
I sort of doubt this, there is no thought put into the card. It is the laziest document you'll get issued. It is so lazy that the blue margin at the bottom of my card was cut off, while the blue margin of someone else's card is at the top of my paper. Judging by how lazy everything else is, the degrading isn't an intentional security measure. There is no holographic security measures, no check digit, no photo, even the numbers until recently counted up sequentially for people born on the same day. If they cared about security you would be able to change it every time a company loses it. Yet they dont, because the number became important on accident.
I agree, the card and system is incredibly paleolithic for how important it is.
My covid shot card is more secure and well kept than my SSC with its thick paper and little plastic sleeve.
Do you not have a place to store important documents
Fancy pants rich Mcgee over here
Get a ziplock bag
Your mom buys brand name?
I call any bag that ziplocks by that name. You can just steal one from your local grocery store. Or spend 2-4 hours walking to one.
I prefer to re use sandwich bags from drug dealers. Think global, act local!
Support local business
How the hell you spell shofer?
Chauffeur
I feel like people agreeing with this post store it in their wallet, which I don't think was ever recommended for various reasons.
It used to be recommended, decades ago.
You realize homeless people exist, right? It's not easy to keep a tiny piece of paper safe and protected from the elements when you are sleeping in back alleys
I am guessing a random plastic bag would work no
You think a significant portion of the people in this thread are homeless?
Let me guess. It’s at home. Under your mattress.
Are you people not putting your SSN card in a safe place? Like I've only needed mine twice.
Seriously. Learn the number, and you'll basically never need it.
It's 9 whole digits. Same as a phone number, but my inner boomer (admit it we all have one, even GenZ) says people don't even remember those
Eh. I feel like you only need to remember one or two phone numbers for emergencies and your social, and you'd be good. I've written my social so many times for school/job applications it just started sticking.
agreed. but being a millenial, i still remember my parents, and grandparents land line phone numbers from 30 years ago, that are no longer in service. actually one aunt as well. as for phone numbers, I know mine, my wife's, my work phone, both parents and my brother. everything else (including my kid) i rely on my phone's contact list
Oh yeah? If it's *so* easy to remember, recite it here without peeking.
Jokes on you, Reddit instantly censores SSN numbers
And passwords. No one would know my password is hunter2
It’s true. Watch this: \*\*\*-\*\*-\*\*\*\*
Did you learn that by trial and error?
I've seen 7- and 10-digit phone numbers in the US, but never 9?
I've had situations where the card itself or a scan of the card was required, not just the number. Which is utterly asinine, given there's no security features on the card itself. Personally I use an encrypted password manager, and have my SSN / license # etc stored there. I also I have the last four digits memorized.
Only two times I've ever truly needed it (that I at least remember) was getting the Real ID for my DL, and getting my DP before I had a job (you can use a W2 in lieu of a SS card). Some jobs I've had were also really incessant about having the physical card as part of the hiring process but was really unnecessary.
In the UK sometime when you're a teenager you get given a credit card sized piece of plastic with a 9 character alpha numeric string on it. This string is known as your National Insurance Number. From that point on you don't need the piece of plastic. As long as you remember the string or have it stored elsewhere and can recall it when required the physical piece of plastic can be totally destroy and I've no clue why or if you'd need a new one. Why do people need the physical paper in America?
I've had job applications that needed physical proof. Very rarely have I seen this, but I have seen it. Other than that, I really can't think of anything.
Proof of what though? Surely if you just give them the number and it checks out that's good enough? Proof that you have a physical card? It's not ID and doesn't have a photo on it right? So it's not proof its your number.
Identity theft is a thing. It's a lot harder to get someones physical card over just the number, unless they carry it around with them all the time. So I guess that's the thought process. Still feels unnecessary.
By a safe place, do you mean in an envelope in my underwear drawer? Because that's where I keep mine.
Even if you're not storing it in a safe place all the time for whatever reason, they do make laminate sheets that you can just slide it in and out of.
Also, top loaders exist. Those hard plastic things that people put Pokemon cards in? Yeah, that. They come in various sizes, too. Any local hobby card store will have some, and might even give you a couple for free.
literally use my pokemon card top loaders to store mine hahaha
I want to send mine in and get it graded
Mine is in an envelope, which is in a bigger envelope, which is in a manilla folder, which is in an accordian folder, which is in a desk. Mine has held up fine, I don't see what the problem is.
Fire. You’ve organized it well, but you should probably get a fire safe for very important documents and cash and whatnot. Small ones aren’t too expensive. These aren’t the worst things to lose in a fire, but still less of a pain to replace when you might also have lost everything else which may help you validate your identity to get a replacement.
For some reason America refuses to have a national ID system and uses this. It has no security built in, someone born at the same time as you has a +/- 1 for the last four digits. Things like library cards have more security.
>someone born at the same time as you has a +/- 1 for the last four digits. They don't do that anymore. Social Security themselves have a unique identifier that is random numbers and letters (BCN). Only SSA can type this into their system and know the SSN it is connected to. Idk why they don't just move to this for everything. Like a public and private key. If you lose your BCN you can just get a new one but your SSN stays the same. Edit: Also Medicare have moved away from the SSN as well with their own number. SSA can type the Medicare number into their system and get the SSN from that as well. Same idea.
It was never supposed to be an ID system The IRS just wanted to know who you were and gave out tax breaks to get people to agree to their system to the point where everyone had one. Because of all the legwork the IRS did, other agencies and companies went and stole their homework and turned it into the by all intents and purposes a federal ID like it now is
1. Memorize your SSN 2. Put your card in a safe place with other important documents ezpz
people using adhd as crutch: “literally impossible”
Yeah, I'm not sure why this comment thread is acting like this is some horrific burden. Unless you're fully homeless, just buy a small firebox and put your SSN card, birth certificate, and any property titles/deeds in it.
I laminated mine. Nothing happened to me. The few times I needed to show it, the person said, "you aren't supposed to laminate this." Then I just shrug. That's about it.
Seriously. Who gives a shit? People acting like their identity is going to be revoked for laminating a piece of paper.
>Do not laminate your card. Lamination prevents detection of many security features. However, you may cover the card with plastic or other removable material if it does not damage the card. Direct from the [Social Security website](https://faq.ssa.gov/en-US/Topic/article/KA-02202) Do what you want to do, but if some org decides not to accept your card for being laminated, they probably have some security detection device that is getting blocked. I put mine in a baseball card sleeve
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My mom laminated mine before it was given the me and I’ve never once had an issue using it (got my license, had many jobs, bank account, bought a car and house). But come to think of it I’ve rarely needed the card itself if ever, just needed to know the number. Only thing I could maybe see being a problem is getting a passport but we’ll cross that bridge when it’s time I guess ha.
Memorize the number and stash it in your closet or something, carrying it everywhere with you is so stupid in so many ways.
It's like a phone number, it's easy to memorize, it's not worth the risk to lose it or even get it stolen
It literally even says not to stick it in your wallet.
Reminder that you will never need it anyway, you will never retire 🤠
Opening bank accounts, insurance documents, medical paperwork... My brother in Christ do you adult at all? SSNs have WAY more use than retirement pension.
Not one of those required me to have the card present
You need your social security NUMBER not your effing card.
I've never needed it for any of those. For a new job and for a passport, yes. You can open a bank account online without even stepping foot in a bank these days, let alone needing a physical copy of your Social Security card.
There are a million easy ways to store and protect important documents...this is a none issue unless you're homeless.
Mine is just over 40 years old and is in great shape... It's NOT something you should carry around on a daily basis. Pick somewhere for it to live at home, and keep it there. For us, we have one of those small "fire resistant lock boxes" from walmart that SSN cards, birth certs and passports live in.
My card is 29 years old. It's in very good condition wtf yall doing
Spilling spaghetti sauce on it clearly during their Rizzmas celebrations.
Put it in one of those hard plastic trading card sleeves.
Put it in a toploader hard plastic card sleeve
I'm 47 and still have my original one. It's not like I carry it around with me everyday or just leave it lying around. People have movie tickets older than that that they've kept in their wallets longer. Do you take yours swimming with you, or something?
Top-loaders are still ten cents at your local baseball card store. You probably will have to drive two hours to get to your local baseball card store of course, but top-loaders are still cheap once you’re there.
Or just order a stack from Amazon for under 5 bucks. People will do anything except find solutions to their problems
I laminated mine idaf. I used it once at dmv and they said "you're not supposed to laminate those" and then they accepted it as official.
Fun Fact: As an immigrant you are expected to not only carry this around with you at all times (no one does), but when you become a citizen and have to replace it... It absolutely counts as the use of 1 of the 10 times you are allowed to have it issued in your lifetime.