How To Get A Replacement Social Security Card For Your Elderly Parents

    If you have parents who are starting to age you are going to want to take care of them as much as you can. As your parents get older, they start to forget things more frequently and they might not remember where they have placed important documents. If your parent can’t find their Social Security card, you might need to help them get a replacement card. Your parents are going to need their Social Security card and it is a very important document that they are going to require to apply for medical benefits and other financial things.

     

    Once you have determined that your parent has lost their Social Security card, you are going to want to help them get a new one. You will need to help your parents fill out the application and you will also need to help them find the documents that are going to prove their identity. Make sure you are there to help your parent fill out the application because it can be difficult to fill out and you might need to ensure that your parents are filling out the form properly.

     

    You can get the form online through the Social Security Administration site. Once you get the form filled out for your parents you are going to need to help them find the documents that are going to prove your parent’s identity. You are going to need to find their birth certificate, driver’s license or ID, passport, and any other documents that are going to be required.

     

    You won’t have to pay anything to get a replacement card and it is free to get one. You might have to wait a few weeks and the cards are always going to come through the mail so you have to allow yourself plenty of time to get the card. You need to keep your eye on the mail because you want to make sure that your parent is going to get the card. You don’t want it to get lost in the mail and if it does your parents could end up being victims of identity theft.

     

    All it takes is for a criminal to get their hands on your Social Security number and they can start to open accounts pretending to be your parents. They can run up the accounts and then not pay them back. Your parents will be responsible when the criminals let the accounts go into default and you will have to try to prove that your parents were victims of identity theft. This can take a long time and it is very complicated.

     

    You have to file a police report and you have to prove to the creditors that your parents were the victims of theft. Their credit score is going to plummet while you are trying to straighten things out and they are going to be getting scary calls and letters from creditors. This can be very stressful to your parents and they are going to be wondering what is going on and they are going to be feeling a lot of stress when they are getting harassed by the creditors.

     

    If you think that you have an identity theft issue with your parents you are going to want to notify the police and file a police report. You should also alert the Social Security Administration. It is important to leave a paper trail so you have proof showing that your parent’s identity was stolen. Sometimes the creditors might try to sue your parent and you need to show the court that they were victims of criminals.

     

    If you think your parents have had their identity stolen you should consider freezing their credit. This will prevent thieves from opening any accounts and it is going to be a lot easier to stop any accounts being opened in your parent’s name. You don’t want to end up being a victim of identity theft. It is just going to be too stressful for your parents.

     

    If you don’t want to apply for the card online, you could take your parents to the Social Security office. The only issue with going to the office is that you have to wait to be seen. This can take a long time if you are visiting on a busy day. You might not want to subject your parents to this discomfort. On the other hand, your parents might be more comfortable going to the office in person. Your parents might not be comfortable with technology and they might prefer to go into the office to take care of getting their replacement card. You will want to do whatever your parents are more comfortable with.

     

    Make sure that your parents understand what is going on and you should also make sure that they have the documents on hand that are going to prove their identity. There are a lot of things they need to bring to their appointment and you want to make sure that you have everything they are going to need.

    If your parents have lost Social Security cards they are going to need them to apply for medical benefits and other types of benefits and they also need their card to apply for financial products. You need to make sure that your parents keep their replacement card in a safe place so they don’t lose it again. Social Security cards are very easy to use because they are so small and unassuming.

    You might want to set up a lockbox with all of your parent’s important financial documents. Make sure that birth certificates, insurance policies, deeds, and other important documents are stored in the safe or lockbox. You want to try to get your parent’s financial affairs in order. This will make things easier for your parents and it makes things easier for you as well. Caring for an elderly parent can be stressful and you want to make sure that you help them get organized. Your parent is going to need a Social Security card for many things.