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You can’t alter your Social Security number (SSN) for just any reason, such as if you’d prefer one that’s easier to memorize or that has a better ring to it. But you can request that it be changed based on religious objections — for instance, if it contains the sequence 666, which is widely considered a symbol of the Antichrist or Satan in Christianity, and is defined by Revelation 13:18 as the “number of the beast.”
According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), religious concerns are among the few valid reasons to request a new SSN, along with cases of identity theft, harassment, or two people being assigned the same number (very rare, but it can happen). You can formally request a new one by contacting a local SSA office, and you must provide written documentation from “a religious group with which the number holder has an established relationship” to substantiate the claim.
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It's a factWhen Social Security took effect in the 1930s, the full retirement age (when recipients can claim 100% of their benefits) was 65. But in 1983, Congress passed a law raising the age by anywhere from two months to two years, depending on the individual’s birth year, for anyone born in or after 1938.
It’s worth noting that the SSA never issues Social Security numbers beginning with 666, which automatically reduces the potential for any such religious objections. All SSNs also have a three-two-four digit arrangement, meaning an uninterrupted 666 sequence could only appear within the final four-digit section, thus lessening the odds even further. Still, if someone were to be issued such a number, a religious objection is a perfectly legitimate reason to request a new one — although there’s no guarantee that request would be approved.
Numbers Don't Lie
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The Social Security Act was signed into law by President ______.
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The Social Security Act was signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Germany was the first country to adopt an age-based social insurance program.
In 1881, German Emperor Wilhelm I wrote a letter to Parliament in which he advocated for a state welfare system to support anyone whose age or disability made them unfit for employment. His vision came true within the decade: An age-based pension system was passed in 1889 and took effect in 1891.
This marked the first state-sponsored, age-based insurance program, providing financial aid to retired workers who reached 70 years old and who had also paid into the system for at least 30 years. In 1916, Germany lowered the retirement age to 65, and while it remains 65 today, it’s scheduled to rise to 67 by 2031.
Bennett Kleinman is a New York City-based staff writer for Inbox Studio, and previously contributed to television programs such as "Late Show With David Letterman" and "Impractical Jokers." Bennett is also a devoted New York Yankees and New Jersey Devils fan, and thinks plain seltzer is the best drink ever invented.
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