Notice2026-02630
Designation of the Social Security Administration's Numerical Identification System (Numident) Into Do Not Pay
Primary source
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Published
February 10, 2026
Issuing agencies
Treasury Department
Abstract
Pursuant to the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019 (PIIA) (31 U.S.C. 3351 et seq.), the U.S. Department of Treasury (Treasury) operates the Do Not Pay Working System--a centralized portal through which agencies can search multiple databases to verify payment or award eligibility. Treasury, under a delegation from the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), is authorized to designate new databases for inclusion in the Do Not Pay Working System. Treasury is issuing this Notice of Proposed Designation to provide the public an opportunity to comment on the proposed designation of the Social Security Administration's Numerical Identification System (Numident) to the Do Not Pay Working System.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 27 (Tuesday, February 10, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 27 (Tuesday, February 10, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5990-5992]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-02630]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
[Docket ID No. TREAS-DO-2026-0034]
Designation of the Social Security Administration's Numerical
Identification System (Numident) Into Do Not Pay
AGENCY: Departmental Offices, Department of the Treasury.
ACTION: Notice of proposed designation.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019
(PIIA) (31 U.S.C. 3351 et seq.), the U.S. Department of Treasury
(Treasury) operates the Do Not Pay Working System--a centralized portal
through which agencies can search multiple databases to verify payment
or award eligibility. Treasury, under a delegation from the Director of
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), is authorized to designate
new databases for inclusion in the Do Not Pay Working System. Treasury
is issuing this Notice of Proposed Designation to provide the public an
opportunity to comment on the proposed designation of the Social
Security Administration's Numerical Identification System (Numident) to
the Do Not Pay Working System.
DATES: Submit written comments on or before February 25, 2026. At the
conclusion of the comment period, if Treasury decides to finalize the
designation, Treasury will publish a notice in the Federal Register to
officially designate the database.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID TREAS-DO-2026-
0034, online at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. Comments can also be
mailed to the Department of the Treasury, Office of the Fiscal
Assistant Secretary, 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20220,
Attn: DNP Comments. Commenters are encouraged to submit public comments
electronically.
Submission of comments in response to this notice is voluntary.
Comments may be used to inform decision-making on topics related to
this notice. In general, all comments received will be posted without
change to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>, including any personal information
provided. You should submit only information that you wish to make
publicly available.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Office of the Fiscal Assistant
Secretary, U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of the Fiscal
Assistant Secretary, 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20220,
Telephone (202) 622-2000 or Email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#acedc1c9dec5cfcddfeecdc2c7edcfcfc3d9c2d8e9e3ecd8dec9cddfd9ded582cbc3da"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6829050d1a010b091b2a090603290b0b071d061c2d27281c1a0d091b1d1a11460f071e">[email protected]</span></a>.
[[Page 5991]]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Do Not Pay Working System is a
centralized portal through which agencies can search multiple databases
to obtain information about potential federal payees and awardees for
the purpose of identifying and preventing improper payments. Pursuant
to 31 U.S.C. 3354(b)(2) OMB has delegated authority to the Treasury to
designate additional databases to the Do Not Pay Working System when
those databases substantially assist in preventing improper payments.
Treasury is issuing this Notice of Proposed Designation to
designate Social Security Administration's (SSA) Numerical
Identification System (Numident). Numident ``contains a record of each
person who has applied for and to whom [SSA] [has] assigned [a] [Social
Security Number (SSN)].'' See System of Records Notice (SORN) 60-0058,
Master Files of Social Security Number (SSN) Holders and SSN
Applications, 90 FR 50879 (Nov. 12, 2025). Upon designation to the Do
Not Pay Working System, Numident will be used solely for the purpose of
verifying the name, SSN, and date of birth (DOB) of individuals
receiving federally-funded payments or awards under health or income
maintenance programs (e.g., Social Security retirement payments,
Medicare, and Medicaid). The addition of Numident to the Do Not Pay
Working System will strengthen the integrity of Federal funds
disbursements in health or income maintenance programs, including in
federally-funded state-administered programs.
Do Not Pay Working System Privacy, Security, and Legal Compliance:
Treasury considers information security, privacy, records management,
public transparency, and supply chain security matters for all resource
planning and management activities to ensure certain risks are
appropriately managed.
Treasury has primary responsibility for compliance with privacy
restrictions and manages risks associated with the use of specific data
to reduce improper payments for Do Not Pay users. Fiscal Service
maintains a comprehensive privacy program and dedicates specialized
privacy resources within the Do Not Pay program to ensure compliance
with all applicable statutes, regulations, policies, and privacy
requirements guided by the Fair Information Practice Principles and
industry best practices governing information systems and data privacy.
This includes maintaining ongoing awareness of privacy and security
risks and assessing associated controls at a frequency sufficient to
ensure compliance and effectively manage those risks. The Do Not Pay
program consults department and bureau leadership and legal counsel
regarding the Do Not Pay Working System to employ privacy and security
controls through a data governance process.
Treasury complies with Federal Information Security Modernization
Act of 2014 requirements and ensures Do Not Pay Working System assets
are managed in accordance with federal requirements, policies, and
procedures. The Do Not Pay Working System employs security controls for
secure system access using Personal Identity Verification credentials,
<a href="http://Login.gov">Login.gov</a> account management, and ID.ME. Do Not Pay Working System
users and administrators are required to sign rules of behavior
stipulating their responsibilities to minimize risks associated with
the use of specific data.
Designation Overview: OMB has reviewed Treasury's recommendation to
designate SSA's Numident to the Do Not Pay Working System. Numident is
the authoritative federal source for Social Security Numbers (SSNs).
While the full Numident database contains all the information SSA
receives on applications for SSNs, the designation to the Do Not Pay
Working System will be limited in scope, allowing Do Not Pay users to
verify only three data elements associated with a payment or award
recipient under a health or income maintenance program--name, SSN, and
DOB. This proposed designation supports the reduction of identity-
related improper payments, which have exceeded $31 billion since
FY2021. Fiscal Service and SSA each maintain responsibility for the
security and lawful handling of the data elements exchanged, ensuring
compliance with the Privacy Act and other applicable federal statutes.
Considerations for Designating
1. Statutory or other limitations on the use and sharing of
specific data:
Sections 205(a) and 205(c)(2) of the Social Security Act authorizes
SSA's maintenance of the Numident database. Pursuant to the Privacy Act
of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended, SSA is permitted to disclose
Numident records to the Do Not Pay Working System under Routine Use 17
of SORN 60-0058, Master Files of SSN Holders and SSN Applications 90 FR
50879 (Nov. 12, 2025), which permits the disclosure of Numident data to
``Federal, State, or local agencies (or agents on their behalf) for
administering income or health maintenance programs.''
2. Privacy restrictions and risks associated with specific data:
Fiscal Service conducted a privacy risk assessment for the Numident
data source to evaluate potential privacy risks and ensure compliance
with applicable legal, regulatory, and policy requirements, including
the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended. This assessment examined the risks
and effects of using Numident data and evaluated protections and
alternative processes to mitigate those risks. The data sharing
arrangement between the SSA and the Do Not Pay Working System involves
the exchange of personally identifiable information (PII) solely for
the purpose of verifying SSNs associated with federal health or income
maintenance program payments and awards.
SSA will provide verification services by matching submitted SSNs,
names, and DOBs against its authoritative Numident database.
Specifically, Do Not Pay users will submit both name and SSN numbers
associated with payment or award recipients under health or income
maintenance programs, and will also have the option to verify the
individual's DOB. In response, SSA's Numident will transmit to the Do
Not Pay Working System certain numerical response codes indicating
whether one or more of the submitted elements match SSA's Numident
file. SSA will not disclose any other Numident data or PII to the Do
Not Pay Working System other than the numerical response codes
indicating whether the submitted data element matches SSA's Numident
records. For example, if a submitted SSN is not verified, Numident will
not share the correct SSN with the Do Not Pay Working System.
Accordingly, the exchange will be governed by strict data minimization
principles: only the data necessary for verification is collected,
retained for the shortest duration required, and used exclusively for
payment integrity purposes. This method strengthens internal controls,
supports federal privacy standards, and limits the exposure of PII.
Transparency and accountability are further reinforced through
public notices in the Federal Register, privacy impact assessments, and
the publication of privacy policies on the Do Not Pay website. While Do
Not Pay does not collect information directly from individuals, it
relies on the original data source agencies to provide appropriate
notice and obtain consent where applicable. These layered controls and
oversight mechanisms collectively ensure that the use of SSA data
remains lawful, limited in scope, and aligned with federal privacy
standards.
3. Likelihood that the data will strengthen program integrity
across programs and agencies:
[[Page 5992]]
The use of SSA's Numident data for SSN verification has a high
likelihood of strengthening program integrity across federal and
federally funded state-administered health or income maintenance
programs. By enabling precise validation of identity attributes against
Numident, agencies can more confidently assess the accuracy of payment
records. This capability directly supports pre-award, pre-payment, and
payment-stage verification processes, reducing the risk of improper
payments and enhancing compliance with statutory and policy
requirements. The centralized access to verified identity data also
facilitates consistent application of payment integrity controls across
disparate programs, improving operational efficiency and reducing
fraud. The integration of Numident into the Do Not Pay Working System
provides a scalable and secure framework for cross-agency
collaboration.
4. Benefits of streamlining access to the data through Do Not Pay:
Streamlining access to SSA's Numident data through the Do Not Pay
Working System offers significant operational and compliance benefits
for federal agencies. By centralizing identity verification services
within an established, secure infrastructure, agencies can reduce
duplicative efforts, accelerate pre-award, pre-payment, and payment-
stage validations, and improve consistency in applying payment
integrity controls. This approach minimizes the need for separate data
access arrangements, enabling agencies to leverage verified SSN data
without navigating complex interagency agreements or bespoke technical
integrations. Do Not Pay estimates that full utilization of Numident
could address $1.5 billion to $4.5 billion in annual at-risk payments.
The result is a more efficient, scalable model for identity validation
that supports timely and accurate decision-making across programs.
5. Costs associated with expanding or centralizing access,
including modifications needed to system interfaces or other
capabilities in order to make data accessible:
Establishing access to the Numident data source will require
targeted system modifications to support secure and efficient data
integration. SSA, as the federal provider of Numident, imposes specific
technical and financial requirements for access, including initial fees
to develop secure file transfer mechanisms and direct connections.
These infrastructure enhancements are necessary to ensure compatibility
with existing systems and to maintain integrity and confidentiality of
data. Treasury proposes to directly compensate SSA for these services,
consistent with interagency data-sharing practices. Do Not Pay will
also incur internal costs related to system interface modifications,
maintenance, and operational support to ensure sustained compliance
with federal privacy, security, and data governance standards. These
investments are essential to enable scalable, policy-compliant access
to Numident data for authorized federal use. Treasury determined that
integration costs are minimal and can be absorbed within existing
development efforts.
6. Other policy and stakeholder considerations:
This direct integration through the Do Not Pay Working System
offers a legally sound and operationally efficient mechanism to conduct
identity verification in support of payment integrity. By centralizing
access within a secure, policy-compliant infrastructure, agencies can
reduce administrative burden, eliminate duplicative data access
arrangements, and accelerate pre-award, pre-payment, and payment-stage
validations. This approach ensures consistent application of
verification protocols across programs, enabling agencies to detect and
prevent improper payments with greater speed and precision.
Gary Grippo,
Acting Fiscal Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2026-02630 Filed 2-9-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810-AK-P
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