Because the Social Security disability process can drag on, much of the time well over a year, those who have applied for either Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) go through many different life changes. One of these life changes are name changes.
No matter why your name may change it is important to know that, especially if you have an active Social Security disability claim, you must inform the Social Security Administration of your name change. If Social Security is unaware of a name change it could delay the processing of a disability claim.
Some people may think that if they go through the legal process to change their name that Social Security will be notified, but this is not the case. You must change your legal name with Social Security directly.
There are a variety of life events that influence someone to change their name, including marriage, divorce or newly granted United States citizenship.
There are three steps you need to take when legally changing your name with Social Security. These steps include:
- Showing that your name has been legally changed through a marriage license, divorce decree, certificate of Naturalization or through a court order.
- The next step is to complete an application for a new Social Security card. This can be done by applying online here.
- Once you complete the application take, or mail your completed application to your local Social Security office. You can find the address for your local Social Security office by typing in your zip code here.
All documents submitted to Social Security must be either originals or certified copies by any issuing agency. Social Security states that your new Social Security card will be sent to you within 10 business days.
For more information about name changes to Social Security click here.
