Lineages.com - Social Security Death Index

Social Security Death Index
The Social Security Death Index is an excellent tool for those doing 20th century family history research. Many of us in our research have discovered families where the children have moved and families have grown apart. As such, knowledge as to when cousins, aunts, and uncles passed away is often times not known. The Social Security Death Index offers the chance to search for these individuals. It is important to keep in mind that the omission of an individual in this index does not mean the person is still living. It simply means that there was no Social Security death benefit paid out in the name of that person, or that the person is not in the edition of the SSDI currently online.

Social Security was begun in 1937, with some payments being paid as early as 1940. The Social Security Death Index is the computerized index to death benefits paid out starting in 1962. While the SSDI does include a few pre-1962 entries, the majority of those included in this index are from 1962. Other reasons that your ancestor may not be included in the SSDI have to do with their occupation or lack thereof. It was not until 1988 that all children had to have social security numbers. And prior to the 1960s, farmers, housewives, government employees, non-employed individuals and those with a separate retirement plan may not have had a social security number.

The “Application for a Social Security Number” is commonly referred to as the SS-5 in genealogical circles. In addition to the SSDI, you may find your ancestor’s social security number in other ways, especially on death certificates. While it may seem like you are recreating the wheel to request the SS-5 form, there are times that this can be the only proof you will have for birth information. For instance, those ancestors who were born in the 1860s to 1880s and immigrated to the United States, rarely can you pinpoint their place of birth. On the SS-5 it was required that the applicant supply complete birth information. This means more than just the country of birth, as is found on census and death records.

To write for the SS-5 form, you do not need to fill out a special form. A letter with the details of the individual in question is acceptable. In your letter include the name of the individual, the social security number, date and place of death and reason the information is wanted. It may be necessary to include a copy of the death certificate. Remember that if the individual is dead, that the Freedom of Information Act entitles you to this information. Send your letter to:

      Social Security Administration
      Office of Central Records Operations
      FOIA Workgroup
      PO Box 17772
      300 N. Greene Street
      Baltimore, MD 21290

Enclose a check or money order for $27.00, made payable to the Social Security Administration.

The SSDI is available for FREE online searching at Rootsweb.

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