Alternate Identifiers

The Department uses Alternate Identifiers whenever a valid Social Security Number (SSN) is unable to be obtained. These numbers are not actual SSNs, and are easy to recognize as placeholders, as they always begin with “99”.

The Department uses two types of Alternate Identifiers: Systems Generated SSNs, used for clients who either have applied for an SSN or cannot obtain a valid SSN, and FMCS SSNs, used for duplicative applications.

Alternate SSN Identifiers	Leading Digits
Facsimile Numbers (Previously Issued by TAO)	991-997
998 Duplicative Numbers (FMCS SSNs)	998
Systems Generated SSNs	990 or 999

Facsimile Number

Facsimile SSNs are numbers that were previously assigned to:

a grantee or primary applicant who has not yet provided an SSN; or
a noncitizen applicant or client unable to obtain or unwilling to give an SSN due to their immigration status

TAO Issued Numbers were 991-997 numbers previously assigned by case managers, at the client’s initial application, to identify the grantee. Each TAO has a specific 99x prefix (when the formula was originally designed, the x represented the region of the office,) followed by xx (which represents the last two digits of the TAO #) and then: 0001, 0002, 0003, etc. in sequence.

Important: Facsimile SSNs are no longer being entered for new applicants/grantees. You must request a System Generated SSN. The Facsimile SSN will remain for grantees with an existing Facsimile SSN on the Request For Assistance Assessed Person page.

Systems Generated SSN

Systems Generated 990 or 999 numbers are Alternate Identifiers assigned to clients who have applied for but have not yet received an SSN, are unable to obtain an SSN due to immigration status, or are unwilling to give their SSN. Clients who have applied for an SSN will have their Systems Generated SSN changed to a real SSN and verified through SVES once a valid SSN is assigned to them. Clients who do not provide an SSN will retain their Systems Generated SSN until a valid SSN can be provided.

When adding a client to BEACON who has applied for and is awaiting an SSN, enter the SSN application date on the Assessed Person page. This is commonly used for newborn children and newly arrived immigrants.

Important: Children born in a Massachusetts hospital will have an SSN applied for at birth. If the client has submitted a birth certificate or hospital birth record indicating they were born in a Massachusetts hospital, do not check “Unable to Obtain” on the assessed person page. Instead enter the date of birth as the SSN application date.

If the client has not applied for an SSN, check Unable to Obtain an SSN. Before leaving the page, a message will appear asking if a Systems Generated number should be assigned to the client. Answer Yes. This is typically used for adult noncitizens who are unable or unwilling to obtain an SSN due to their immigration status.

If the client has an SSN, such as an adult US Citizen, but is unwilling to share it with the department, only use a Systems Generated SSN as a last resort. They will not be eligible for benefits if they do not provide a valid SSN. If by the end of the application period no SSN is provided, and there is no good cause for not providing an SSN, check Unable to Obtain an SSN on the Assessed Person page. Then, on the AU Composition Results page, disqualify the household member with the Reason Category “Noncooperation” and Reason “Did not apply for/Verify SSN,” and then save.

Use the Assessed Person page to enter or update any Alternate Identifiers for a household member. Access this page via the RFA workflow or in the Case Maintenance workflow, as appropriate.

FMCS SSN

FMCS SSNs, also known as 998 Duplicative SSNs, are Alternative Identifiers assigned by BEACON to create more than one case for the same program for the same grantee (an adult head of a case) in certain situations.

A warning message is displayed on the Request for Assistance page when these cases are created, discouraging the creation of the second case. If you, with the TAO Director’s authorization, create more than one case for the same program with the same grantee, the additional case(s) will have an FMCS SSN that starts with 998.

When an FMCS SSN is created, the last digit is always the same as the last digit of the grantee’s real SSN. This occurs so benefits will be issued on the same day for both cases for the same program.

998 Numbers can be viewed on the AU Composition Results page, the AU Inquiry tab, the Results tab, and the Benefit History tab.

Updating System Generated SSNs to Valid SSNs

In most situations, once an SSN is verified via SVES, the SSN will automatically batch over into BEACON and replace the Systems Generated SSN with the actual SSN. If a System Generated SSN has been assigned to a client who had applied for an SSN, it is important to update to the real SSN once that information is known.

For SNAP, newborn children must have their SSNs updated by the household’s next recertification or the sixth month following the month in which they were born, whichever is later. If a child older than six months is found to be in the household with a 99 number that was assigned at birth, you must request the child’s SSN; if this is not provided by the end of the recertification period, the child must be removed from the household for the reason “Did Not Apply for/Verify SSN” under reason category “Noncooperation.”
For TAFDC and EAEDC, newborn children must have their SSNs updated prior to the child turning four months. If a child older than four months is found to be in the household with a 99 number that was assigned at birth, you must:
- contact the client to explore whether there is a good cause reason for not providing the SSN,
- send a VC-1 requesting the child’s SSN or verification of good cause, if applicable, and
- if neither is provided by the verification due date, remove the child from the household for the reason “Did Not Apply for/Verify SSN” under reason category “Noncooperation.”

Note: If you are unable to reach the client prior to sending the VC-1 to explore good cause, you must attempt to reach the client again to explore this prior to removing the child from the AU.

Similarly, all US citizens and most noncitizens have valid SSNs; once a noncitizen has their citizenship status updated, you must check for a valid SSN and request one from the client if a Systems Generated SSN is in use. If the client fails to provide an SSN for the household member or verify good cause by the end of the certification period for SNAP or by the age of four months for TAFDC and EAEDC, the household member must be removed from the household for the reason “Did Not Apply for/Verify SSN” found under reason category “Noncooperation”.

When the client tells you of receipt of a valid SSN, you must replace the Systems Generated SSN with the valid SSN following these procedures:

Go to the Assessed Person page on the AU Composition workflow.
From the Member List (upper left corner), select the client whose SSN needs to be changed to a valid SSN.
Change the Systems Generated SSN to the valid SSN.
Click Name Clearance.
On the Name Clearance page, click Match to the appropriate client; a message will appear that says: "The SSN entered on the page differs from the Matched AP’s primary SSN. How do you wish to use the SSN that was entered on the page?” Ensure that the radio button next to As a new primary SSN is selected.
Click Save.
Click Next to save your changes and go to the next page, or click Finish to save your changes, exit the page and the workflow.

The new SSN will be displayed for the client on all appropriate pages. The old SSN will remain on file in the Alternate SSNs field. Submit a SVES request for the household member.

FAW staff must self-assign the case and EA case managers must create an Outlook reminder for the next business day, to then check to see if the SSN is verified. If so, update the verification page and approve the case.

Updating FMCS SSNs to Valid SSNs

For instances where a case is created with a grantee using an FMCS SSN, you will need to update the grantee’s information with the correct SSN. If, when doing so, you are unable to find a match for the client in Name Clearance, have your Supervisor or Systems Information Specialist (SIS) submit a ticket to IT to resolve the duplication. They will merge the cases on your behalf. Return to the case later to ensure it is completed in a timely manner.

Important: Do not attempt to merge the cases yourself. Doing so will require entering incorrect application dates and will not provide accurate, timely benefits. Have your supervisor submit a ticket.