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Path: utzoo!mnetor!spectrix!clewis
From: clewis@spectrix.UUCP (Chris Lewis)
Newsgroups: can.general
Subject: Re: SIN's (was borrowed records)
Message-ID: <203@spectrix.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 27-Nov-86 12:01:53 EST
Article-I.D.: spectrix.203
Posted: Thu Nov 27 12:01:53 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 27-Nov-86 17:49:18 EST
References: <623@water.UUCP> <192@spectrix.UUCP> <497@ubc-cs.UUCP>
Reply-To: clewis@spectrix.UUCP (Chris Lewis)
Distribution: can
Organization: Spectrix Microsystems Inc., Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Lines: 25

In article <586@ubc-cs.UUCP> manis@ubc-cs.UUCP (Vincent Manis) writes:
>In article <637@water.UUCP> jmlang@water.UUCP (Jerome M Lang) writes:
>>I am not sure of the validity of the next sentence but I heard that
>>it was true. There are more SIN in use than there are people in the country.
>
>It stands to reason that there are more SINs than people qualified to
>hold them. For example, I doubt that the SINs of deceased people are reused.
>In addition, people present on short-term visas are often issued SINs if
>they earn income while in Canada (that's why I have a US Social Security 
>Number). There is also of course fraud.

In actual fact, I believe that both SIN and OHIP numbers are being
recycled now.  The latter I know for certain.  The stupid turkeys didn't
put enough digits in the stupid things (SIN 9, OHIP 8 - don't forget that
one of them is a check digit!).  OHIP (at least used to, policy may have
changed slightly) reissues numbers if they have been inactive for 8 years
or more.  Then the original holder comes back from missionary work in
Africa (or something).  Voila!  Two different people with the same number.
This is an extreme problem within OHIP.  Ditto SIN.
-- 
Chris Lewis
Spectrix Microsystems Inc,
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ARPA: mnetor!spectrix!clewis@seismo.css.gov
Phone: (416)-474-1955