Hundreds of newborns in D.C. are not getting their Social Security Numbers as the D.C. Vital Records Office at the city’s health department, which is responsible for getting the information to the Social Security Administration (SSA), has been failing to send the numbers in time.
Over 750 babies born at the Sibley Memorial Hospital in the past two months are affected due to the delay. According to the D.C. Health, newborns at all hospitals in the city are affected by the problem.
“What normally takes about two weeks to get a Social Security card is now about two months,” said Heather Hunter, mother of a newborn at the Sibley Memorial Hospital. “The fact that it hasn’t been resolved is still very annoying,” she said.
Hunter said the Social Security number these days is more than just a Social Security card. “It’s, you know, it’s not something you do at the end of your life. It’s basically an identification for everybody,” Hunter added.
“D.C. Vital Records was first made aware that SSA was not receiving enumeration of birth files in November and immediately notified medical facilities. D.C. Vital Records has since been working with SSA to troubleshoot the issue,” the D.C. Department of Health said in a statement.
According to the D.C. Department of Health, the SSA notifies numbers as a “courtesy” to new parents. However, parents can apply directly to the agency for receiving Social Security numbers.
The distribution of birth certificates and other records is not affected by the issue, according to the D.C. Health. “Together, Social Security and the D.C.’s Vital Records Office are diligently working to resolve the electronic transmissions of birth information to enumerate their newborns,” said the SSA.
