topic Re: Genealogy question concerning SSN issusance location in Community Chat

Genealogy question concerning SSN issusance location

skatting44 — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 00:00:55 GMT

I am perplexed by an ancestors SSN that was issued in 1965 Alabama when he was born in SC in 1902 . Is the SSN issued in the state where you 1st were employed ?

I am trying to figure out as to maybe what town in Alabama my ancestor was in an effort to possibly locate other ancestors . My husband says you can tell by the SSN as to where/what town the SSN was issued . Does anyone know ?

Re: Genealogy question concerning SSN issusance location

deepwaterdotter — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 00:07:05 GMT

I think the first 3 numbers represent a code indicating the town and state where the card was issued.

Re: Genealogy question concerning SSN issusance location

Icegoddess — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 00:07:55 GMT

Social Security didn't start until 1935. I would think it would be your location where you applied for it. Some of my ancestors have Social Security Numbers issued by the Railroad Board and those don't give a location.

Re: Genealogy question concerning SSN issusance location

Icegoddess — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 00:10:55 GMT

Found this:

When the United States began issuing Social Security Numbers (SSNs) in 1936, it assigned certain number sequences to certain states. According to the Social Security Administration, this was mainly to keep their files organized, but it has had the unintended effect of associating people with certain locations. SSNs have never been assigned directly to note a person's birthplace; before 1972, the number reflected the location of the office issuing the number, and since 1972, numbers have been assigned by the address written on the application. However, because most people now receive their SSNs as children, the numbers they are assigned quite often reveal the U.S. states in which they were born. Thus, although the method is not foolproof, you can reasonably determine your birth state by the first three numbers in your SSN.

Re: Genealogy question concerning SSN issusance location

skatting44 — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 01:34:16 GMT

Thanks for everyone's response. I guess, I might call SS admin to see if 422 signifies a particular field office location in Alabama in 1965. I can only see that he may have been in Alabama between 1921 & 1924 .

@gizmogal

Thanks, I have been Googling , however have not found an answer to my question via Google. Appreciate you looking and sending a screen shot to me. I did find a list of numerous office locations in Al , however office location number not listed.

Albertville	Alexander City	Andalusia
Anniston	Auburn	Bessemer
Birmingham	Birmingham East	Cullman
Decatur	Dothan	Fairhope
Florence	Gadsden	Huntsville
Jackson	Jasper	Mobile
Montgomery	Selma	Talladega
	Tuscaloosa

Re: Genealogy question concerning SSN issusance location

D Kay — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 00:52:01 GMT

If you google "significance of social security number", the are several sites listed with an explanations, including by the Social Security Administration.

Re: Genealogy question concerning SSN issusance location

gizmogal — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 00:59:08 GMT

422 is in Alabama. I Googled "422 SSN prefix" and got a page with good information. I took a screen shot and attached it here to help you.

Re: Genealogy question concerning SSN issusance location

Kachina624 — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 01:25:38 GMT

The first three digits of the number indicate the state in which you were residing when you applied for the card. In 1965, babies did not get social security cards. You usually got one when you were ready for your first job.

Re: Genealogy question concerning SSN issusance location

skatting44 — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 01:43:44 GMT

@Kachina624

Thanks, I obtained my SSN when I applied for my 1st job .

My ancestor whom I am researching applied in 1965 for old age benefits . At the time he applied he was living in SC , so why it was issued in Alabama is why I am perplexed .

He was born in SC . The only yrs that he may have gone to Alabama for employment was between 1921-1924 . All the other yrs I have census records to verify location along with some family memories. All the older relatives are now deceased . I just found out abt the Al SSN.

Re: Genealogy question concerning SSN issusance location

IdahoGram — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 01:55:07 GMT

Why would anyone be getting a SSN at 63 yrs of age?

Re: Genealogy question concerning SSN issusance location

Somertime — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 02:51:12 GMT

@skatting44 Check the Census for Alabama and South Carolina to see where he was living. They have, just, released the 1950 Census. From what you have stated, he applied for a SSN in 1965 in Alabama in order to get Social Security. He might have been staying with a relative at the time who was helping him to apply.

The Census Report is the most reliable to find out where he was living.

Re: Genealogy question concerning SSN issusance location

Kachina624 — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 03:43:49 GMT

@IdahoGram wrote:
Why would anyone be getting a SSN at 63 yrs of age?

@IdahoGram Maybe to apply for old age benefits. Perhaps he was in an occupation (farmer?) Where he never needed a ssn.

There was an alternate system of benefits called the Railroad Retirement Fund for railroad employees. Same rules and benefits as social security and run by the government. It still exists today.

Re: Genealogy question concerning SSN issusance location

skatting44 — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 07:39:27 GMT

@IdahoGram

because he had serious health issues and could no longer work because he had a disability . To access other benefits you need a SSN.

Re: Genealogy question concerning SSN issusance location

skatting44 — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 07:45:38 GMT

@Somertime

Yes, I have located him in all the census records from 1910 upto 1950 in SC . He died in SC where he was born. Neither of his parents lived in Al . The only yrs I am not sure where he lived was between 1921-1924.

Re: Genealogy question concerning SSN issusance location

CelticCrafter — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 13:10:03 GMT

I remember being at the bank opening a new account and when I gave my social security number the person filling out the paperwork knew exactly where I was originally from!

Re: Genealogy question concerning SSN issusance location

Somertime — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 13:14:09 GMT

@skatting44 He did not have to be living in Alabama to apply for a SSN. He could have been visiting someone who decided to help him gain what he needed. . I would think someone helped him with the information and to process the paperwork. It could have been a friend or even a lawyer who helped. If he was a Veteran, it could have been someone through the Veteran's Administration who applied on his behalf.

He would receive a small check each month but would be covered for medical.

A DNA test through Ancestry would give you information regarding more relatives.

Re: Genealogy question concerning SSN issusance location

Caffeina — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 15:12:33 GMT

@skatting44

For $21.00, you can request a copy of a deceased person's original SSN application.

https://www.ssa.gov/foia/request.html

Re: Genealogy question concerning SSN issusance location

Sooner — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 15:17:20 GMT

My mother got me a SSN long before I was old enough to work.

Re: Genealogy question concerning SSN issusance location

skatting44 — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 15:54:32 GMT

@Caffeina

Thanks, have done so.

Thanks. Yes, he had hospital staff help him fill out the application paperwork in 1965.

He was severely disabled and in the hospital . He had outlived all his siblings , parents and he was never married . No one in the family ever heard if he had any children , so no family known. . " The Social Security Amendments of 1965 (principally, the new programs of health insurance for the aged) added to the responsibilities of the Social Security Administration ." That is why he applied in 1965 . All earlier employment was farm labor . Am pursuing looking at this related ancestor because of unexplained dna matches . Back in 1965 , there was a field office in Birmingham, Al .

called SS and they could not give further clarification , so this remains a mystery.

Re: Genealogy question concerning SSN issusance location

chrystaltree — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 16:12:29 GMT

Your husband is wrong. I worked for Social Security eons ago

At the time you are interested in the first 3 digits identified where the field office that issued it was located, the second two digits were the order on the roll that the card came on, the final 4 are a serial numbers. There are...which I don't remember...."impossible numbers". Meaning Social Security would not issue certain combinations of numbers so if someone was using an impossible number it would flag as fraudulent number. The SS cards came on big strips. You might be able to determine what part of the country the card was issued in but not the town, maybe not even the state.