Vanity.. Social Security Benefits - ID Theft

Idle Thoughts ^ | 04/25/08 | FAB

[FAB]

Maybe the brilliant mind of the Free Republic members can advise on this. I run a genealogy site for the family. In here we post information obtained from the Social Security Death Index (SSDI), published by the U.S. Government.

Let's say someone passes on and their spouse is receiving benefits. The SSDI publishes the SS# of the passed family member.

Is it possible for the spouse to have complications arising from the theft of their loved ones ID?

[Froufrou]

Why would SS publish the number? Why would you?! I would be furious if a family member published my SSN without asking me. It does not belong to anyone but me.

[AppyPappy]

I think the publishing of the number is evidence that the number is considered “dead”. The credit companies pick up on that. It tells them “If you are owed any money by this person, now is the time to collect it”

[Don Corleone]

Anything is “Possible”.

[2banana]

FYI - SS numbers get recycled about 2 years after the death of the original SS holder.

[i_dont_chat]

Information from Social Security Administration on deaths is public information.

The reason being — the number is no longer any good. They, at SS, know the person is deceased. They have a copy of the death certificate.

End of story. Period. No one could get any benefits from Social Security by using a dead number.

[mnehrling]

Ditto to what froufrou said. This site could have major problems for publishing the SSN in the first place. I’ll do some checking, but I believe that so would the woman collecting on the deceased SS. She does have the right to some of it but not all of it (I know, it stinks, but that is the law..) I’ll check, but it is a mess I sure wouldn’t want to be in.

[presently no screen name]

She does have the right to some of it but not all of it

What do you mean by that? The spouse DOESN'T have right to ALL the benefits?

[mnehrling]

I double checked myself. In some cases, they do, in others they don't. http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10084.html#3 How much will I receive? The benefit amount is based on the earnings of the person who died. The more the worker paid into Social Security, the greater your benefits will be. Social Security uses the deceased worker’s basic benefit amount and calculates what percentage survivors are entitled to. The percentage depends on the survivors’ ages and relationship to the worker. Here are the most typical situations: A widow or widower, at full retirement age or older, generally receives 100 percent of the worker’s basic benefit amount; A widow or widower, age 60 or older, but under full retirement age, receives about 71-99 percent of the worker’s basic benefit amount; or A widow or widower, any age, with a child under age 16, receives 75 percent of the worker’s benefit amount. Children receive 75 percent of the worker’s benefit amount.

[Froufrou]

And, in the case of remarried couples, the first spouse has first dibs on the SS until you have been remarried for a minimum of 10 years.

[ReignOfError]

FYI - SS numbers get recycled about 2 years after the death of the original SS holder.

Do you have a source for that? I've never heard of it before, and it seems like a really dumb idea.

[mnehrling]

They are not recycled:

http://ask.yahoo.com/20001201.html

::”Are Social Security numbers re-assigned after a person dies?” In the answer, the SSA states it does not re-assign numbers after the original holder’s death. So far, over 400 million SSNs have been issued, and about 6 million new numbers are assigned annually. Apparently there are enough numbers left to last for several generations.::

[i_dont_chat]

I don’t believe this is correct. Where did you get this information?

[i_dont_chat]

Found this:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070721135906AA1VGMY

They do not re-use numbers.

[2banana]

Looks like I had that one wrong.

Several years ago my father died and they publicly published his SS number. I was told, at the time, that is was no big deal as it is going to someone else anyways...

[i_dont_chat]

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070721135906AA1VGMY

Q20: Are Social Security numbers reused after a person dies?

A: No. We do not reassign a Social Security number (SSN) after the number holder’s death. Even though we have issued over 415 million SSNs so far, and we assign about 5 and one-half million new numbers a year, the current numbering system will provide us with enough new numbers for several generations into the future with no changes in the numbering system.

[brityank]

FYI - SS numbers get recycled about 2 years after the death of the original SS holder.

Wrong.
They do not get recycled; go to SSN Number Scheme to see the layout and why.

[presently no screen name]

Yes - know that part.

[stlnative]

what if wife #1 was married to him for 10yrs only and the 2nd wife has 14+ plus yrs with him. (14+ yrs because 2nd wife is still married to him)

[presently no screen name]

I see know what you were referring too. I wasn’t thinking of another spouse - just one marriage - a clear cut case and not being entitled to it all - but that’s not what you were referring to.

[stlnative]

a partial answer to my question... (the below “What if I remarry?” Q&A only applies if the first ex “does not” have it written in the divorce decree that she gets a cut of his SS benefits. If she does have it written in the divorce decree then she can only collect on part of what he earned and paid into SS during their marriage, even if she remarries before the age of 60.)

What if I remarry?
Generally, you cannot get widow’s or widower’s benefits if you remarry before age 60. But remarriage after age 60 (or age 50 if you are disabled) will not prevent you from getting benefit payments based on your former spouse’s work. And at age 62 or older, you may get benefits based on your new spouse’s work, if those benefits would be higher.

[Froufrou]

I knew a couple who remarried after age 60 and he died before their 10th anniversary. There had not been any consideration of SS benefits at the time of the first divorce, that having been many years prior when they were young. The first ex got the SS benefits he had accrued.

In the case of my own parents, my dad remarried after age 60 and my mom never did. When he died, the new wife called my mother and told her she was not going to claim benefits because she was getting widow’s benefits from her first marriage. My dad, who never paid child support, also never had to pay SS as an M.D. but he did. And my mother got it.