RM 00202.142 Form SS-5 Item 8.B - Mother's SSN - Policy and Procedure

Sep 20, 2026

Upload by Violet

RM 00202.142 outlines policy and procedures for entering the mother’s Social Security Number (SSN) in Form SS-5, specifically item 8.B. It defines when the mother’s SSN must be provided for applications for original SSN cards for children, lists valid and invalid reasons for not providing the mother’s SSN, and describes steps to obtain missing or unverified SSNs through telephone and Form SSA-795 notice workflows. It also covers what to write when SSN is “NO SSN” or “UNKNOWN,” and how to proceed when enumeration feedback indicates the SSN does not verify.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryForms

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time2 min

AccessFree to download

RM 00202.142 Form SS-5 Item 8.B - Mother's SSN

Policy - Entering the Mother's SSN

Policy - Valid Reason for Not Providing Mother's SSN

Procedure - Obtaining Missing SSN

Procedure - Unwillingness to Provide Mother's SSN

Procedure - Entering the Mother's SSN in Item 8.B

Social Security Administration RM 00202.142 Form SS-5 Item 8.B.—Mother's SSN A. POLICY-ENTERING THE MOTHER'S SSN An entry in item 8.B. reflects the mother's SSN when provided by the applicant. An entry is required on applications for original SSN cards for children unless the applicant has a valid reason for not providing the mother's SSN. B. POLICY-VALID REASON FOR NOT PROVIDING MOTHER'S SSN Valid reasons for not providing the mother's SSN are as follows: • The mother does not have an SSN. • REMINDER: Needing an SSN for an IRS tax purpose is not a valid reason to assign an SSN. Refer the alien to IRS to obtain an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) for tax purposes. Do not show the mother's ITIN on the SS-5 . • The mother's SSN is unknown, the applicant is other than the mother and the applicant cannot be reasonably expected to obtain the SSN. (For example, the child is in State custody for foster care or has been given up for adoption.) . C. PROCEDURE-OBTAINING MISSING SSN Follow the procedures below to develop for the mother's SSN. NOTE: See RM 00202.147C. if the father's SSN is also missing. 1. Application received by mail a. Applicant is mother • If all evidence needed to process the application was provided but the mother's SSN is missing, first try to obtain it by telephone. If obtained, enter it in item 8.B. and annotate as an “FO WRITE-IN”. • If unable to reach the mother by telephone, return the application and evidence with Form SSA-795 using Exhibit A language (RM 00202.142F.) to request that she include her SSN on the SS-5 . (Destroy the SSA-795 if a decision is subsequently made to process the SS-5.) • If the mother has a valid reason per RM 00202.142B. for not providing her SSN, write the words “NO SSN” or “UNKNOWN”, as appropriate, and annotate as an“FO WRITE-IN”. • If the mother is unwilling to provide her own SSN or sufficient identifying information for SSA to clearly identify her assigned SSN, follow RM 00202. 142D. b. Applicant is other than mother This project was supported by Grant No. 2005-WT-AX-K005 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this web library and its publications are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. 4 | Battered Immigrants’ Access to Services • If all evidence needed to process the application was provided but the mother's SSN is missing, first try to obtain the missing SSN by telephone. If obtained, enter it in item 8.B. and annotate as an “FO WRITE-IN”. • If unable to reach the applicant by telephone, return the application and evidence with Form SSA-795 using Exhibit B language (RM 00202.142G.) to request that the mother's SSN be included on the SS-5. (Destroy the SSA-795 if a decision is subsequently made to process the SS-5.) • If the applicant has a valid reason per RM 00202.142B. for not providing themother's SSN, write the words “NO SSN” or “UNKNOWN”, as appropriate, and annotate as an “FO WRITE-IN”. • If the applicant knows the mother's SSN but is unwilling to provide it, follow RM 00202. 142D. 2. Application taken in person at FO a. Applicant is mother • If the mother does not know her own SSN, ask for complete identifying information to do an alpha-search for her SSN. • If the mother has a valid reason per RM 00202.142B. for not providing her SSN, write the words “NO SSN” or “UNKNOWN”, as appropriate, and annotate as an“FO WRITE-IN”. b. Applicant is other than mother • DO NOT conduct an alpha-search for the mother's SSN. • If the applicant has a valid reason for not providing the mother's SSN per RM 00202.142B., write the words “NO SSN” or “UNKNOWN”, as appropriate, and annotate as an “FO WRITE-IN”. • If the applicant knows the mother's SSN but is unwilling to provide it, follow RM 00202. 142D. D. PROCE

FAQs

When is an entry for the mother’s SSN required on Form SS-5, item 8.B?

An entry is required for applications for original SSN cards for children unless the applicant has a valid reason for not providing the mother’s SSN.

What is a valid reason for not providing the mother’s SSN?

Valid reasons include the mother does not have an SSN, the mother’s SSN is unknown and the applicant is not the mother with no reasonable expectation to obtain it, or other scenarios described in RM 00202.142B.

What steps apply if the SSN does not verify when the applicant is not present?

Try to obtain the correct SSN by telephone; if unable, return the application with Form SSA-795 using the appropriate exhibit language, then do not process the SS-5 and provide written notice explaining why no SSN can be assigned.

Sep 20, 2026

Upload by Violet