Proposal To Issue Social Security Cards on Tamper-Resistant Material

GAO testified on the Social Security Administration's (SSA) recent proposal to issue new and replacement social security cards on tamper-resistant material. GAO reported in 1980 that issuing social security cards on tamper-resistant paper would not in itself increase their integrity and prevent misuse, because it would not stop people from obtaining them illegally by using false identification documents. SSA has indicated that issuing a tamper-resistant card would make counterfeiting more difficult and might reduce the cost of issuing replacement cards. GAO felt that, even with a tamper-resistant card, misuses would probably continue to occur, because most misuse occurs through improper use of number, rather than through misuse of the card itself. SSA has started training its personnel so that they can better detect fraudulent documents when persons apply for a social security number. GAO believes that SSA should not begin issuing the tamper-resistant card until SSA personnel are adequately trained to detect fraudulent identification documents. A determination cannot be made on whether the cost of the tamper-resistant cards would be offset by the reduced cost of replacing cards that wear out, because SSA does not maintain data on the number of cards that are replaced because of wear. If there are to be two types of social security cards in use, it would take a long time to phase out the old cards, counterfeit cards could be obtained and used as long as the current version is still acceptable, and the demand for replacement cards could grow. Before the proposal is implemented, the advantages and benefits of the proposal should be clearly demonstrated and weighed against the potential disadvantages and costs.