TN 15 (01-13)

Age is an integral part of the individual’s identity, and discrepant DOBs on various documents may raise a question about the individual’s identity.

If we change an individual’s date of birth (DOB) on his or her Numident record and the individual is receiving Title II benefits or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), we need to change the DOB on the individual’s payment record to agree with the Numident record when appropriate.

When changing an individual’s DOB, ask if he or she is:

• an SSA beneficiary, or

• an SSI recipient, or

• serving as a representative payee.

If yes, review the Master Benefit Record (MBR), Supplemental Security Record (SSR), and Representative Payee System (RPS) to determine on which record the individual receives benefits and update the record(s) as necessary. Also, be aware of benefit payments affected by the change to the individual’s DOB. We may not be able to change the DOB on the MBR or SSR if administrative finality rules protect the DOB determination as shown in RM 10210.295C.

Follow these procedures if an individual asks to change the DOB on the Numident record.

A. Date of birth (DOB) changes and corrections

Any individual, either U.S.-born or foreign-born, who requests a change or correction to the DOB on the Numident record, must submit evidence of age and evidence of identity to support the change, unless the correction is for an obvious keying error as described in RM 10210.295B in this section.

• For acceptable documents to establish age, see RM 10210.265.

• For documents that can be used to establish identity, see RM 10210.420.

• If the MBR or SSR previously establishes the individual’s age in connection with a claim for benefits, follow RM 10210.295C in this section.

B. DOB change needed due to a keying error

A keying error occurs when the data on the paper Form SS-5 (not the system-generated application) does not match the data keyed into SSNAP, as determined by the entry on the Numident (e.g., Form SS-5 shows “06/21/50” and the Numident entry shows “06/12/50”).

Day and month reversals (e.g., 06/07/50 versus 07/06/50) are common errors that occur when the DOB format on the Form SS-5 is dd/mm/yyyy but we process the DOB as mm/dd/yyyy.

To determine whether a keying error has occurred, compare the entry on the SS-5, or microprint, with the data shown in the corresponding field on the Numident.

• For instructions on how to read the Numident, see RM 10235.005.

• For instructions on how to request microprints of Form SS-5s, see RM 10220.365.

NOTE: Use your judgment about whether to request a microprint based on how likely you consider a keying error to be the cause of the incorrect DOB. For additional information on correcting keying errors see RM 10215.051.

C. Use of MBR or SSR proof code to change Numident DOB

Follow these instructions to determine when you may accept a DOB proof code from the MBR or SSR for a claim, instead of requesting additional evidence of age, to change the DOB on the Numident.

Follow the instructions in RM 10215.035D to correct the DOB on the Numident using the Special FO Processing option in SSNAP.

If the individual states that the MBR or SSR DOB is incorrect, or submits evidence with a DOB that does not agree with the DOB on the MBR or SSR, follow the instructions in GN 00302.010D to resolve the discrepancy.

NOTE: Whether you can correct the previous award of benefits for the claim due to a change in the DOB depends on the applicable rules of administrative finality. To determine how to proceed in situations involving administrative finality, see RM 10210.295G in this section.

D. U.S.-born individual asks to change the DOB on the Numident record

When a U.S.-born person requests a change to the DOB on the Numident record, and the procedures in RM 10210.295B or RM 10210.295C, in this section, do not apply, request primary evidence of age (U.S. birth certificate established before age five) per RM 10210.265A.

If the individual submits primary evidence of age, follow the instructions in RM 10210.295D.1. If the individual alleges that primary evidence of age is not available, ask for alternative evidence of age in order of probative value from the groups of documents in RM 10210.265 and follow instructions in RM 10210.295D.2.

1. Request primary evidence of age

1. Perform a visual inspection of the document per RM 10210.210.

2. If the birth certificate (BC) does not appear to belong to the individual per RM 10205.315B, or if the BC can immediately be determined to be fraudulent per RM 10205.305, follow the procedure for processing an SSN Application when documents are immediately determined to be fraudulent in RM 10205.325.

3. If the BC passes visual inspection, follow the instructions in RM 10205.300C.3. to determine if verification of the BC is required.

   IMPORTANT: If an individual whose Numident record shows a proven DOB (i.e., an IDN of P on the Numident) asks to change that DOB, he or she must submit primary evidence of age and SSA must verify it. This includes Numident iterations with an IDN of P and XXs for any part of the DOB (e.g., XX/XX/2002).

4. If the BC passes visual inspection, and it is determined that collateral verification with the state BVS is not required, and the individual submits all other required evidence, continue processing the SSN application.

5. If you must verify the BC with the BVS and you cannot verify the document immediately (e.g., via Electronic Verification of Vital Events), do the following:

   • Verify primary evidence of age with the appropriate BVS per GN 00308.000 or follow local procedures. Follow existing practices for this expense.

     NOTE: There is no special Common Accounting Number (CAN).

   • Review the instructions in RM 10205.300 to determine when to code evidence of age as suspect pending verification.

   • For processing instructions when fraudulent documents are involved, see RM 10205.310.

   • Provide the individual with the Acknowledgement letter per RM 10205.215. You can print the Acknowledgement letter from SSNAP.

6. If the BVS verifies the individual’s BC, and the individual submits all other required evidence, process the SSN application per RM 10205.315.

7. If the BVS does not verify the individual’s BC, do not process the SSN application. Follow instructions in RM 10205.320.

2. Alternative evidence of age is submitted

1. When an individual submits alternative evidence of age, you must contact the BVS in the state where the person was born to verify that there is no record of the person's birth. FOs should follow existing practices for this expense.

   NOTE: There is no special Common Accounting Number (CAN).

   • You can accept alternative evidence of age from the individual at the same time you check with the BVS for a BC, but you cannot process the application using the alternative evidence until you receive a response from the BVS stating that no BC exists.

   • If the BVS locates a BC, the individual must submit it as evidence of age. Do not use alternative evidence. Request the BC per RM 10210.295D.

   • If the BVS reports that no public birth record exists, show that no BC exists on the Proof of Age screen in SSNAP and use the alternative evidence of age.

2. If the alternative evidence of age is accepted, perform a visual inspection of the evidence per instructions in RM 10210.210.

3. If the evidence does not appear to belong to the individual per RM 10205.315B, or if the document can immediately be determined to be fraudulent per RM 10205.305, follow the procedure in RM 10205.325, Processing an SSN Application when Documents are Immediately Determined to be Fraudulent.

4. Verify questionable evidence with the issuing source while waiting for the BVS to verify that no BC exists.

5. If the evidence submitted passes visual inspection, the BVS verifies that no BC exists, and the individual submits all other required evidence, process the SSN application per RM 10205.315.

6. If the custodian or issuing entity of the evidence of age (i.e., hospital or medical birth record) is a hospital or health care provider, take the following actions:

   • Have the individual sign the disclosure authorization in Part I of Form SSA-L706 (Letter to Custodian of Birth Records). This release is required under the HIPAA rules and permits the hospital or health care provider to release records about the individual’s birth to SSA. Form SSA-L706 is available in SSNAP. Complete applicable entries on the form per GN 00302.070.

   • Provide a copy of the document submitted as a birth record for the U.S.-born individual and Form SSA-L706 signed by the individual to the custodian/issuing entity (i.e., the hospital or health care provider).

   • Review the instructions in RM 10205.300 to determine when to code evidence of age as suspect pending verification.

   • Provide the individual with the Acknowledgement Letter per RM 10205.215. Print the Acknowledgement Letter from SSNAP.

7. If the custodian or issuing entity of the evidence of age is not a hospital or health care provider:

   • See specific references in GN 00302.000 or RM 10210.265 for instructions on how to evaluate and verify particular types of evidence (e.g., delayed BCs, school records).

   • Review the instructions in RM 10205.300 to determine when to code evidence of age as suspect pending verification.

   • Provide the individual with the Acknowledgement letter per RM 10205.215. Print the Acknowledgement letter from SSNAP.

8. If the verifying agency reports that the evidence submitted by the individual is:

   • Acceptable; process the SSN application per RM 10205.315, provided all other required evidence is submitted,.

   • Fraudulent; do not process the SSN application. Follow instructions in RM 10205.320.

9. If the individual does not submit all required evidence, provide the individual with a Form SSA-L676, which explains why we cannot assign an SSN, and return the SS-5 and the evidence already submitted to the individual.

   • For information about retention or return of documents, see GN 00301.275.

   • For instructions about providing written notice and second review when we cannot issue an SSN card, see RM 10215.110.

   • You can generate the Form SSA-L676 (Refusal to Process SSN Application) within SSNAP. (Form SSA-L676 is also available on the Document Processing System DPS Production.)

   • Delete the record from SSNAP per instructions in the SSNAP User Guide.

E. Foreign-born individual asks to change the DOB on the Numident record

Follow these instructions when a foreign-born individual requests a change to the DOB on the Numident and the procedures in RM 10210.295B and RM 10210.295C, in this section, do not apply.

1. Ask for evidence of age in order of probative value (according to RM 10210.265) that the individual can submit within 10 business days.

2. Perform a visual inspection of the document using the guidelines in RM 10210.210.

   • For instructions about how to evaluate particular types of evidence (e.g., delayed BCs, physician’s records, school records), see specific references in GN 00302.000.

   • For the acceptability of foreign documents, follow GN 00307.000.

   • If the foreign document is in a foreign language, follow instructions in RM 10210.210.

3. If the document does not appear to belong to the individual per RM 10205.315B, or if the document can immediately be determined to be fraudulent per RM 10205.305, follow the procedure in RM 10205.325, Processing an SSN Application when Documents are Immediately Determined to be Fraudulent.

4. Verify with DHS any immigration document submitted according to current collateral verification procedures in RM 10214.100 regardless of which evidence factor(s) the individual is using it to establish. Review the instructions in RM 10205.300 to determine when to code evidence of age as suspect pending verification.

5. If the document appears authentic, DHS verifies the immigration document, and the individual submits all other required evidence, process the SSN application per RM 10205.315.

6. If DHS does not verify the immigration document, do not process the SSN application. Follow instructions in RM 10205.320.

7. If the individual does not submit all required evidence provide the individual with a Form SSA-L676, which explains why we cannot process the application, and return the Form SS-5 and the evidence already submitted to the individual.

   • For information about retention or return of documents, see GN 00301.275.

   • For instructions about providing written notice and second review when we cannot issue a card, see RM 10215.110.

   • You can generate Form SSA-L676 within SSNAP (also available on the Document Processing System DPS Production).

   • Delete the record from SSNAP per instructions in the SSNAP User Guide.

F. Update the payment records

If we change an individual’s DOB on the Numident and the individual is:

• A representative payee, change the DOB on the RPS record to agree with the Numident if DOB is different on the RPS record,

• Entitled to Social Security benefits, change the DOB on the MBR to agree with the DOB on the Numident if the rules of administrative finality do not apply, or

• Entitled to Supplemental Security Income, change the DOB on the SSR to agree with the DOB on the Numident if the rules of administrative finality do not apply.

NOTE: To determine how to proceed in situations involving administrative finality, see RM 10210.295G in this section.

G. DOB changes when administrative finality may be involved

In some cases when we change the DOB on a Numident record, we may not be able to change the DOB on the individual’s MBR or SSR record due to the rules of administrative finality, which protects data on the payment record. If the individual is receiving SSA payments, determine if the rules of administrative finality apply to the payment record when changing the DOB on the Numident.

For more information on administrative finality see:

• Title II payments in GN 04030.010, and

• SSI payments in SI 04070.010.