What’s a social security verification form?

Getting accurate information about a client can help organizations prevent fraud before it occurs. If you are applying for a loan, mortgage, or a new job, the organization may require you to prove your identity by providing a Social Security Verification Form.

A Social Security Verification Form, also known as Form SSA-89, is a Social Security form that authorizes the Social Security Administration (SSA) to verify if the name and Social Security Number (SSN) of an applicant match the SSA records. It helps organizations prevent fraud and identity theft by verifying the connection between the name and SSN with the SSA. 

What is Social Security Verification Form?

When you apply for a loan, request a credit card, open a retirement account, or other services, the receiving organization may want to verify your identity using your SSN. Typically, these organizations may require you to fill out and sign a Social Security Verification Form that authorizes the SSA to release your Social Security information. It allows SSA to determine whether or not your name and SSN combination match the information in their database.

In the mortgage industry, the Social Security Verification Form helps mortgage lenders comply with the mortgage industry Social Security number verification requirements. In this case, mortgage lenders want to confirm that the mortgage borrower is the person they claim to be to prevent the risk of loss.

When the third party submits the Social Security Verification Form to the SSA, it receives a report with the verdict. The report may return either “YES” or “NO”. If the report returns “YES”, it means that your name matches your SSN, while “NO” means that the name provided does not match the SSN. If some cases, the verification report may return “DECEASED” to mean that the name provided matches a record on the SSA’s Death Master file.

Who should fill out Form SSA-89?

Social Security Form SSA-89 verifies the connection between a name and SSN with the Social Security records. You may initiate the request or a third party may request the verification form for various reasons. The lender may issue pre-printed forms that contain the company information or its agent name and contact information.

In most situations, a third party may require you to sign Form SSA-89 when you request a service such as a credit check, credit card, or license requirement. Completing the verification form allows the SSA to verify if your name and the SSN combination match the SSA's records.

How to fill out Form SSA-89

The Social Security Verification Form is usually one to two pages, and it is filled by the applicant and the third party (supervisor, employer, hiring manager, etc.) or its agent. As the applicant, you will be required to fill out your name, Social Security number, address, date of birth, and the reason for seeking the verification form.

Ensure you provide the correct information as it appears on the Social Security records to avoid delays or a mismatch. If you provide false information or make a misrepresentation to obtain information from Social Security records, you can be found guilty of a misdemeanor, which attracts a fine of $5,000.  

On the other hand, the third party will be required to indicate the name of the company or department that requires the information, its address, and contact information, and the date when the request was made. If an agent is doing the actual verification, you can indicate their name, address, and contact information.

In summary, Form SSA-89 should contain the following information:

Name of applicant

Date of birth

Social Security Number

Reasons for authorizing consent

Company name

Company address

Company phone number

Name of company agent

Address of company agent

Duration of consent

Signature of applicant

Contact information of individual signing authorization

Generally, once you sign the form, you give a 90-day consent within which the third party must verify the information. If the 90 days lapse and the company has not submitted the verification form, you will need to fill out and sign a second verification form.

How to submit Social Security Verification For

Once you fill out and sign Form SSA-89, you should deliver the signed verification form to the third party that requested the information. For example, if you applied for a mortgage and the mortgage company is conducting the verification, you should send the signed verification form to the mortgage lender. You won’t be required to provide supporting documents.

Once the third party receives the signed copy of the verification form, it enrolls in the Consent-based Social Security Number Verification System (CSSV). The lender pays an enrollment fee and transaction fee for obtaining information from the SSA database. The organization will then receive a report containing the verification of your SSN. The report contains the applicant’s reference number, date stamp, applicant’s details, and the results of the verification. If your name matches the SSN, you can proceed with the service you were applying for such as a loan application or credit check.