what is a social security number ssn 
the term social security number ssn refers to a numerical identifier assigned to u s citizens and other residents to track income and determine benefits the ssn was created in 1936 as part of the new deal to provide for retirement and disability benefits the original intention of the ssn was to track earnings and provide benefits now it is used for additional purposes such as identifying individuals for tax purposes and tracking credit reports 12individuals in the u s are asked to provide their ssns to obtain credit open bank accounts obtain government benefits make major purchases and more 