[dropcap]I[/dropcap]f you have lost your Social Security card or it was lost in a fire or other disaster, you are going to need to get it replaced. Your Social Security card is an important document and it is something that you have to have. You need it to collect your Social Security benefits and it also proves your identity. If your Social Security card was stolen, you are going to need to do additional things to ensure that you don’t become a victim of identity theft.
If your name hasn’t changed you can easily get a copy of your Social Security card for free. You can visit the Social Security website or you can visit your local Social Security office or even get it through the mail. There is a limit to how many replacement cards you can get. You are limited to three a year and ten in your lifetime.
Getting your replacement card is easy and you just have to gather your documents. You will need to prove your citizenship with a birth certificate or passport issued by the United States. Once you have these documents you are going to need to prove your age. Your birth certificate or passport are also going to serve as records of your age.
You are also going to need to prove your identity and you can do this with a driver’s license that was issued in the United States and you can also do this with your passport. None of the documents can be expired and they have to be valid. The easiest way to get your replacement card is to apply for it online. You can get it much faster when you apply online and you won’t need to go to the office.
If you are going to apply for your card online you will need to set up an account on their website so you can fill out the application. If you don’t have access to a computer or you don’t want to fill out the application online you can visit your local Social Security office to get your Social Security card replacement. You are going to need to bring the documents with you so your application can be processed. Don’t forget any of the documents because if you forget anything you are going to need to go back and get the documents before you get your replacement card.
There are a few different requirements if you want to get your replacement card online. You will need to be over 18 and you also have to have a United States mailing address. You won’t be able to get your replacement card on the same day and it takes about two weeks to get your card in the mail. Make sure to keep an eye on your mail because you don’t want your Social Security card to get stolen. These cards are in high demand and you could have problems if your card gets stolen and you end up with identity theft issues.
If a criminal gets a copy of your Social Security card and has your address, it isn’t that hard to take out a loan in your name. The criminal will run up as many loans as possible and then not pay them. You will be stuck with the bill and you will have to go through a difficult process of clearing your name. It is going to take a while to do this and you are going to take a big hit to your credit score and end up with other problems that are going to make your life more difficult.
It can take a long time to clear your name after an identity theft situation and you are going to be getting lots of calls from creditors and dealing with a lot of credit issues while you are trying to get the problem resolved. Identity theft can create a lot of problems in your life and you have to make sure that you protect your Social Security card.
You don’t want to leave it sitting in your mailbox and if you haven’t received it then you might want to put a freeze on your credit report. Freezing your credit will ensure that no one can open an account in your name and you will be alerted if anyone tries to open an account in your name. You should also file a police report if more than a month has passed and you still don’t have your card. You can also report your card as stolen to the Social Security Administration.
Having your card stolen is serious and it is something that you have to try very hard to avoid. You don’t want to go through the nightmare of identity theft and it is just too costly. Having your identity stolen can prove to be a real nightmare and it can take a long time to get over this terrible situation. If you lose your Social Security card make sure that you get a new one right away and don’t wait too long to get your card.
Keep your card and Social Security number protected so you don’t have any issues with your number. Keep your card in a safe place so you always know where it is. This way you won’t have to worry about losing it. Your Social Security card is an important piece of information and you don’t want to have any problems with it. Your card is something you need to get your Social Security benefits and you need it for other things as well.
Make sure that you memorize your Social Security number in case something happens and check your credit report twice a year to make sure that there isn’t any unauthorized activity going on. Your credit is important and you don’t want anyone trying to steal your information and open accounts in your name. You have to protect your credit score and you can do this by making sure that you keep an eye on your Social Security card.
