Social Security Cards
![]() photo by Ben Sutherland |
Social security cards are required for U.S. citizens, permanent residents and temporary working residents in the U.S. The cards are issued and distributed by the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA). The social security program has a long history, but was officially launched in 1935. Each social security card contains a nine digit unique number (known as a social security number or SSN).Today the SSN is not only used for retirement benefits issued by the SSA, but also for taxation purposes; even children must have one in order to be claimed as a dependant on their parents' taxes. Currently the SSN is widely used as an individual identifier beyond the SSA and IRS which has led to problems with privacy and identity theft.









