Ssa changed my name???
 

I'm from European descent and people are given 3 names: first, mothers' last, and father's last.

Let's suppose my name is Amy Jones Smith. Jones would be my mother's last name and Smith would be my father's.

I've always just used my first and last name for everything, but since everyone was recommending that complete names be put on DACA applications, I included all three.

I applied for a SSN and I thought all was fine because when I received the card, all three names were listed.

Today, I went to apply for an identification card at my DMV, but when the representative that was helping me put my SSN into the computer for verification, she informed me that I only had one last name and it was my mother's last name--in this case, "Jones". SSA apparently only picked one last name and it was my mother's name.

Does anyone know if this is common? Anyone else have ridiculous name issues like this?

Re: Ssa changed my name???
 

SSA is required by law to go by the name that's on your EAD. Go back to the SSA office and complain about it. If they start spewing bureaucratic blabber, request a manager/superior and have them do the job themselves. If it's a no-go, visit another office. That's how inconsistent the system is.

Re: Ssa changed my name???
 

That's what I thought too, but my card DOES have both names, so why would it only be incorrect in the system?

Re: Ssa changed my name???
 

Just want to make something clear, have you been using Jones as your last name in the US regardless of how surnames work in your country?

Re: Ssa changed my name???
 

No. I've been using my father's last name--"Smith".

Re: Ssa changed my name???
 

Oh, god, what a mess this is.

These are the facts:

a) Your name through USCIS is 'Jones Smith, Amy' because that's what you put on the DACA form. You could have affixed an explanation of how family names are reversed in your country, typed in 'Smith Jones, Amy', and they would have given you an EAD with that name.

b) SSA has to provide you with a SSN belonging to the name that appears on your EAD, in your case it is, 'Jones Smith, Amy'. You have confirmed that your name on your SS card matches your EAD's.

c) Either as a result of user error at the DMV or SSA or a glitch in either system, SSA returned a shortened name when the DMV requested a SSN verification.

What you need to do first is go back to the SSA office and verify that your legal name is, 'Jones Smith, Amy' and not 'Jones, Amy'. If the name on their system matches the name on the card then ask them to provide you a printout. Next, go back to the DMV and inform them of the fact that your name is 'Jones Smith, Amy' and give them the printout as supporting evidence. The reason behind doing this is so that they treat 'Jones Smith' as a single last name when submitting the information for the verification of your SSN, because it's likely that they could be using 'Jones' as your last name simply out of convention and disregarding the rest of your legal name.

Re: Ssa changed my name???
 

So on your EAD it says "Amy Jones Smith" but on your SSN Card it only says "Amy Jones" ?

I believe this isn't really a change of name they are just leaving off your second last name.