Social Security? Congress is coming together on immigration legislation that would provide work authorization and access to Social Security numbers to millions of immigrants who worked here illegally. A new TSCL research report based on data from the Administration (SSA) indicates that Social Security could be on the hook for hundreds of billions in future claims for benefits based on earnings from jobs worked while illegal.

Unauthorized immigrants get jobs by showing employers false or invalid Social Security numbers. When the SSA receives copies of W2s in which the name and SS number don’t match those on Social Security’s records, they go into the Earnings Suspense File (ESF). The W2s remain on file until the earnings can be reconciled with the real worker, even if that occurs years later. Since 2000, the (SSA) has received about 9.3 million such W2s per year on average, representing more than $69.4 billion per year in earnings.The earnings reported to the ESF over the past 11 years now total more than $763.5 billion, unadjusted for inflation. Earnings are important, because that’s what the (SSA) uses to determine entitlement and initial benefit amounts — not the amount of taxes paid in. Although Social Security is aware of the problem, no government estimates of the future cost of benefits based on work under fake Social Security numbers exist...Read more