Many genealogists have found the Social Security Death Index. Copies of the database are on CD at Family History Centers and are online at a number of websites (www.ancestry.com, and www.rootsweb.com).

The index contains birth and death dates for most people who had a social security account and who died after 1960.

The Social Security Administration is the keeper of another piece of genealogical information for genealogists. That is the original application that the individual filled out. Typically, you find the name, date and place of birth and the names of the parents of the applicant. You can also find the address where the person was living and the name of their employer.

The cost for a copy of this application may seem a bit pricey. It is $27, but the value of the original application—filled out in the ancestor's own handwriting is well worth it. The Social Security Administration was formed during the depression of the 1930s, and many of the early applicants were born in the mid to late 1800s. You can find information on Social Security applications that is difficult to find elsewhere.

To request a copy of the original application, no form is needed. Address your envelope and letter to:

Social Security Administration

OEO FOIA Workgroup

300 N. Green Street

P.O. Box 33022

Baltimore, Maryland 21290-3022

Include identifying information about the person—including their Social Security number. Make sure you state that you want a copy of the original application–not a computer generated copy.

If you know that a deceased person had a Social Security number, but they are not listed in the Social Security Death Index, and you don't know what the number was, you can still get a copy of the original application. The Social Security Administration will look it up for an extra two dollars. (The total bill is $29).

You can also ask for a copy of the claim file. I've never done this, because the claim files are usually destroyed soon after the death of the last person receiving benefits on a record. By the time that I found it was possible to get this sort of information, the records for my people were destroyed. There is a $14 fee for the search. Copies cost 10 cents per page, plus postage. Send your request to the same address listed above. This time, however, you shouldn't send a check until they notify you as to the photocopying fee.

If you are interested in other helpful articles, go to my Columns page.

© 2000–2009

Connie Lenzen, CG^SM

CG, Certified Genealogist, is a service mark of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, used under license by board certified genealogists after periodic evaluation, and the board name is registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office.