Press Releases

Washington, D.C. - Representatives Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) reintroduced the bipartisan Social Security Child Protection Act. The bill would direct the Social Security Administration to issue a new Social Security number to a child under the age of 14 if that child's Social Security card was stolen while being sent. This comes after the Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee held a hearing on the Social Security Administration's role in combatting identity fraud. During the hearing, the Committee heard testimony from Margaret Hayward, whose child did not receive her Social Security Number through the mail and was forced to navigate a bureaucratic maze to protect her daughter’s financial future.

"Child identity theft is a serious problem in our country. Unfortunately, the Social Security Administration's current policies make it extremely difficult for families to obtain a new social security number after a child’s social security number has been compromised due to theft. Families should have the ability to protect their children from having their identities stolen. Children deserve the opportunity to open bank accounts, get a first job, purchase a car and start a line of credit, without worrying about the hardships they may have to face because of a stolen SSN card. I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense, bipartisan legislation,” said Rep. Wenstrup.

“Identify theft is a serious issue. If a child’s Social Security card is lost in the mail or stolen, they should be protected,” said Rep. Blumenauer. “Issuing new Social Security numbers is a commonsense solution to ensure that our children and families have more secure financial futures.”

"AARP, which advocates for the more than 100 million Americans age 50 and older, is pleased to endorse the Social Security Child Protection Act of 2023....The range of fraud that can be committed when a Social Security number has been compromised is truly staggering, and the time and effort required to reassert one’s financial identity after a theft can be daunting.
For these reasons, AARP believes Social Security numbers must be afforded the highest level of privacy protection. .... AARP is strongly committed to safeguarding the confidentiality of Social Security numbers and protecting American citizens of all ages from fraud and identity theft. We thank you for introducing this important legislation," said Bill Sweeney, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for AARP.

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