I had 1 SSN# from 1972 to 1996. I got new card with a change of birth year and my name changed, and place of birth to get away from my abusive husband who wanted to kidnap my child and take out of country. Now I am disabled and getting disability. The SSA cut my check by $500 monthly and wants proof of pay stubs or W2 from 1972 to 1986. I have tried the SSA and the employment office and others. What do you suggest? Oh, where I worked for 12 years 1972-1986 is no longer in business and the owners are deceased. Can you help me?
By Sonia
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Only the Social Security Administration can answer your questions. You can find some information via their website but should have all of your questions answered by visiting their local office.
So - you are saying that you obtained an illegal Social Security number in 1996 and even changed your birth date?
Just curious - did you make yourself younger or older?
It appears that you used your earnings from the old SS number to obtain some of these benefits but since they were on your original SS number the "law" has more or less caught up with you.
You will certainly need legal representation to make any changes and since this was an illegal act I am not sure you will be able to come out of this with good results.
Why did you not file income taxes from 1972 to 1996?
If you had filed taxes then IRS would have a record of those earnings and you could verify that you worked and how much money you earned.
What/how did you use those earnings to receive disability benefits if you have no record of them?
There appears to be more questions than answers in your request for help so I feel sure the whole story is not being given.
You should try to find an attorney as probably no one on Thrifty could possibly give legal advice on a subject like this.
But - some people would probably like to hear the outcome of this problem.
SSA should already have this information in their database. Luckily so does the IRS - you need to fill out a request form for duplicate W-2s for the years SSA claims they can't source.
(link to IRS page follows my info, you may need to click around the IRS site to be sure this is the most up-to-date info)
There is a box to tick on the IRS forms requesting duplicate W-2s asking if the applicant has ever done a numbers/name/DOB change. Locate that box (which is hard to find and easy to miss, frankly, so go over the form with a magnifying glass!).
As I recall, there used to be a space for the old number/name/etc to be listed and I'm fairly certain it's still on the form. So fill in the requested information, and follow the directions on the form as to how to submit it to make it possible for the IRS to find your old W-2s and replicate them for you in hard copy.
Emailed pdf's may now be available as well but if email duplicate W-2s are offered, first check to be sure SSA will accept a pdf or print-out of a pdf before accepting emailed duplicates - some authorities won't take pdf print-outs because it's so easy to fake the things.
Hey presto, you should have your replicated info within 90 days, and can then continue on with the SSA. Best of luck to you!
www.irs.gov/
@Cybergrannie - actually, many people quite legally change their SSI information - domestic violence victims, Witness Protection participants, adoptees, etc. The SSA and law enforcement work together on these case all the time.
A careful re-read of the original question tells us the writer is a domestic violence survivor and she had to have gone through the legal steps to do what has been done.
Her situation now is thanks to the SSA being their typical bureaucratic selves with the SSA agent having little to no interest in providing this woman with the information she needs and the agent should be willing and happy to provide, btw, in an effort to assist the person needing help.
So, not a case of someone committing a crime and asking us how to do an end-run.
Thank you Frugal Sunnie as I could have misunderstood the information given -but - I reread it and in my opinion - it does not appear to have been a legal change. Maybe I did read it wrong but it would seem that if it were legal the age would not have been changed and she should have some type of paper showing that it was a legal change.
I am not saying this was for sure a "crime" but I cannot help but wonder why she does not have something (or cannot get) a copy of income tax returns from the years she states are missing.
Even if she did obtain a legal or nonlegal SS number the fact remains that she has to have someway to prove she made the money she claims she made under her old SS number.
If she did not file taxes then she may not be able to do that.
An attorney may be able to obtain information from a now defunct company as they had to file and pay taxes and claim what they paid to employees each year.
I do know of people who have been able to obtain a copy of their 1099 (amount of money paid and taxes withheld) that employers filed from many years ago (not sure how many years) but it may be worth a try.
I still believe she will need an attorney to help her file properly and maybe save her benefits.
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