OAR 410-200-0210: Requirement to Provide Social Security Number

(1) The Agency may collect a Social Security Number (SSN) for the following purposes: (a) The determination of eligibility for benefits. The SSN is used to verify income and other assets and to match with other state and federal records such as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Medicaid, spousal support, Social Security benefits, and unemployment benefits; (b) The preparation of aggregate information and reports requested by funding sources for the program providing benefits; (c) The operation of the program applied for or providing benefits; (d) Conducting quality assessment and improvement activities; (e) Verifying the correct amount of payments, recovering overpaid benefits, and identifying any individual receiving benefits in more than one household. (2) As a condition of eligibility, except as provided in section (6) below, each applicant (including children) requesting medical benefits shall: (a) Provide a valid SSN; or (b) Apply for an SSN if the individual does not have one and provide the SSN when it is received. (3) The agency may not deny or delay services to an otherwise eligible individual pending issuance or verification of the individual’s SSN or if the individual meets one of the exceptions identified in section (6). (4) Except as provided in section (6) below, if an applicant does not recall their SSN or has not been issued an SSN and the SSN is not available to the Agency, the Agency shall: (a) Obtain required evidence under SSA regulations to establish the age, the citizenship, or non-citizen status and the true identity of the applicant; and (b) Either assist the applicant in completing an application for an SSN or, if there is evidence that the applicant has previously been issued an SSN, request SSA to furnish the number. (5) The Agency may request that non-applicants provide an SSN on a voluntary basis. The Agency shall use the SSN for the purposes outlined in section (1). (6) An applicant is not required to apply for or provide an SSN if the individual: (a) Does not have an SSN and the SSN may be issued only for a valid-non-work reason; (b) Is not eligible to receive an SSN; (c) Is a member of a religious sect or division of a religious sect, and the individual adheres to its tenets or teachings, and for that reason is opposed to applying for or using a national identification number; or (d) Is a newborn that is assumed eligible based on the eligibility of the mother of the newborn and who is under one year of age.