Using religious records for social security card
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A social security card helps you get the green light for many of life’s most important transactions: new jobs, bank loans, name changes or government services such as Medicaid, Medicare and food stamps. The little blue card with a specific string of numbers linked to you vouches for your identity, age and citizenship.
Applying for social security card after losing yours or having it stolen can be a maddening process, especially when you lack civil documents required for application, like a birth certificate or passport. Fortunately, the Social Security Administration will accept certain religious documents from your church or synagogue. We are not associated with the Social Security office or any other government agency. You can deal with them directly to receive free forms.
Using religious records for social security card
Religious documents can verify birth and biographical information. Families often establish them before or instead of some vital records. They are linked to public, provable events and bear the signatures of ministers or other witnesses.
When applying online for your social security card, you can provide SSA with one of the following original or certified documents as long as it was filed before the applicant turned 5-years-old:
1. A baptismal certificate. This record will list the religious place of baptism, the date, and the age of the person baptized, and the parents.
2. A naming certificate – This certificate is filled out during a formal naming ceremony and lists the congregation, date of birth, parents and city.
3. A cradle roll – This is a record of the youngest church members who are enrolled in Sunday school or church. It lists the date of birth and date of earliest attendance, often established during christening.
4. A Bris certificate – This is a Jewish document that marks the date of a young male’s circumcision. It lists the date of birth, congregation and is signed by a Rabbi.
How to find religious records to apply for your social security card.
If you are seeking church records from the distant past and are no longer affiliated with the sanctuary in question, try to first discover the affiliation: Catholic, Jewish, Baptist, Methodist. Then, try to see if a relative can remember any possible sites. Try these tips:
1. Look in old family Bibles or photo albums for records or hints of the family’s church.
2. Read family obituaries or study old newspapers for birth announcements. These things might list a church name.
Once the church is found:
3. Search online for the church’s database. Many congregations have searchable records online and offer the purchase of records online.
4. Write a letter to the church secretary or call the church office. Most will locate records for free, but a church offering or membership might make workers more inclined to help.
5. If the church no longer exists, contact the headquarters of the denomination. They should have a record repository.
Once you’ve obtained all your documents, it’s easy to apply for your replacement social security card at home from your computer. Do it yourself or seek step-by-step assistance through USA Filing Services. USA can make sure your application is done right and that all your documents are in order. This is especially important if you are using religious records for social security card applications since some records may lack the required data or signatures. USA can double check each record. Also, each customer gets a free month of LifeLock identity protection.