Should a person change his/her name before contacting SSA for a new number?
Changing one’s name is one of the important steps a victim needs to take for personal protection. But changing one’s name and SSN are just two steps in a person’s safety plan. We encourage other steps to be taken as well, such as changing addresses, changing schools, and/or changing jobs. Since SSA assigns a SSN based on the name shown on the identity document submitted with the application for a new number, it is best that the applicant have a document identifying him/her by the new name when applying for the new number. SSA will not assign a third number just because the individual later changes his/her name. Rather, the records will be updated and a corrected card will be issued showing the new name and the current SSN.
Changing one’s name is one of the important steps a domestic violence victim needs to take for personal protection. Since SSA assigns an SSN based on the name shown on the identity document submitted with the application for a number, it is best that the applicant have a document showing his/her new name.
