October 1999

ABSOLUTELY! We all know that the government established the Social Security program back in the 1930's to establish a pension plan for all Americans. But did you know that you can obtain valuable family information by utilizing Social Security records? It's true - there's some great data available.

First, a look at the history of the Social Security Administration. The Social Security program was authorized in 1935. The first applications were distributed in November 1936. Approximately 30 million Americans applied for Social Security numbers in preparation for the beginning of the accumulation of credits in January 1937. There was another "rush" of registration when Medicare was enacted in 1965.

The numbers were initially assigned at local post offices, until the Social Security field offices were established beginning in 1936. Since 1972 the cards have been issued out of Baltimore, not the field offices.

Beginning in 1967, the Department of Defense began using Social Security numbers in place of military service numbers. Since 1972 Social Security numbers have been assigned to legally admitted aliens upon entry to the U.S. Since 1989, parents may automatically obtain a Social Security number for a newborn infant when the birth is registered with the state.

Next, how can a pension program provide genealogical benefits? For starters, there's the Social Security Death Index (SSDI). Since 1962 a database has been maintained of all deaths reported to the Social Security Administration. Note that if a person died before becoming eligible for Social Security benefits (disability, pension or death benefits), that death may not have been reported. Some funeral homes report all deaths, but that is by no means a universal activity. Most deaths before 1962 are not in the database (for some reason, a very few are included - but only about 2% of those in the database died between 1937 and 1962). Government employees, spouses with no earned income and self-employed persons, who are not eligible for Social Security benefits, are generally not included. For those who are in the database, information may be incomplete. Only the FamilySearch edition seems to include foreign deaths.

Now for the GOOD news. As of August 1999, there were nearly 62 million individuals in the database. If the person's death was reported and recorded, information is VERY accessible. This database is made available to the public through sales to private suppliers. The database is updated quarterly, but the suppliers may or may not upgrade that frequently. You should always check the effectivity for the database you are using. Some of the suppliers offer the database for purchase on CD-ROM with their own browser (SSA does not provide one with the database). Some suppliers even offer the database online using their own search engines. Here are some of the sources I have found online:

Once you have located the database, use the indicated search options for that source. For example, most will allow a search by surname only; some also allow given name, and some allow other filters (such as state of residence). The FamilySearch program does not allow you to search by Social Security number, but many of the commercial versions do. Remember that women will be listed with their surname at death, so don't expect to find them under maiden names or prior married names (the database is NOT cross-referenced in any way).

When you have located one or more possible matches, look at the other information to confirm the person, then glean new data:

• Date of birth
• Date of death
• Residence (the original database just shows zip codes, but some suppliers will add a city to it)
• Location where death benefits (if any) were paid (also just zip codes, but again, some suppliers will add a city to correspond)
• Social Security Number

That is all that the SSDI includes, but that can provide valuable information:

• Confirm or establish date of birth
• Confirm or establish date of death
• Confirm or establish last residence (note, this must be checked, since it is not always accurate)
• Confirm or establish residence of "next of kin" (location where benefits were paid)
• And, the best part, a Social Security Number

What's so great about a Social Security number? Well, here are a few things:

The first part of the Social Security number is a code indicating the state of issuance. This can be a good clue for a place of residence. For example, my Social Security number was issued in Kansas - since I wasn't born, baptized, or married there, and didn't go to college there, one should guess that perhaps I lived there at some point, probably before going to college. That would be a correct guess, and could lead to other great information on the family. Note this could also be a bit misleading. The code is assigned based on the mailing address given on the application. If for some reason the person was using another address, it might not lead to the correct state. For example, a college student might use a parent's home address for mailing, but might not actually reside there. Like any other clue, this needs to be verified. Check the SSA website or the book The Source (see the bibliography below) for a list of the prefixes assigned to the various states - note that some states have been assigned another block separate from the original (for example, Arizona was originally 526-527, but 600-601 have also been assigned).

With the Social Security of a deceased person, you can request a copy of the SS5 form (Application for Social Security Number), without demonstrating any relationship. With the Social Security number, the fee is $7.00; without the SSN, the fee is $16.50. To obtain a copy, write a letter to: Social Security Administration, Office of Central Records Operations, FOIA Workgroup, P.O. Box 17772, 300 North Greene Street, Baltimore, MD 21290. Note that this is a new address. Several of the privately supplied SSDI databases include an option to have a letter generated for an individual you have located in the database. This is a very nice bonus feature, and makes it very simple to make the request. Be sure to request a micro-copy of the form, or you may get only an extract including little more than the SSDI contains. The SS5 application, which is completed and signed by the applicant, is full of great information, generally including at least:

• Name (including woman's maiden name)
• Address at time of application
• Employer (until 1947, no longer required)
• Occupation
• Date and Place (Town) of Birth
• Both parents' names

In some states, the Social Security Number of a deceased person is required to request a death certificate.

For military service beginning in 1969 (for Army and Air Force) or 1972 (Navy and Marine Corps) or 1974 (Coast Guard), the Social Security number is used as the military ID number, which is needed to request a copy of the service file for a deceased veteran.

For those recently deceased, there may also exist a claims file or packet which can be requested. This is only maintained for approximately 5 years after the payment of final benefits, but if available, a copy of all documents may be requested. This might contain the death certificate, statements from next of kin, military records, medical records, naturalization papers or any type of documentation that was used to validate the individual's claim to Social Security benefits. If the file exists, the fee is $14.00 for this service. Use the address indicated above for ordering the SS5 application.

So, how's that for a helpful government program? This is the largest database of death information on 20^th century Americans, and it's readily available to genealogists. Don't forget to check for collateral relatives - siblings, spouses, etc. - you just might find the clue you need to put together your family!

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