PM 03-11-01: Social Security Number Policy

WAG 03-11-01

Medical eligibility can be backdated up to 3 months before the date of application for a person otherwise eligible for Assist or AABD Medical who has applied for an SSN.

Do not deny, delay, or stop benefits pending the receipt or validation of an SSN if the person, or someone acting on their behalf, has applied for an SSN.

For medical assistance, if a person is only applying for a child and not for their own self, they do not have to provide the Department with their own Social Security Number unless the child is eligible for All Kids Rebate and the applicant is the policyholder on the insurance policy. This includes, but is not limited to the following persons living in the home:

  • responsible relatives;
  • siblings;
  • aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents.

text revisedFor SNAP benefits, persons receiving TANF or SSI meet SSN policy. Do not disqualify a TANF or SSI client if the SSN is not received. 

Noncitizen SNAP unit members who do not want to provide information about their INS status do not have to apply for an SSN. These persons are ineligible for SNAP benefits.

text deletedFor Moms and Babies, providing an SSN is desirable, but it is not an eligibility requirement. Ask each person who is applying for their SSN. Since providing their SSN is not required, tell applicants:

  • that disclosure of the SSN is voluntary; and
  • what law allows us to ask for the SSN; and
  • that the SSN will only be used to determine their eligibility for benefits.

The above requirements are met by having the applicant read, or if necessary by reading to the applicant, page 4 of the SS-5, The Privacy Act and Your Request for a Social Security Number Card.