Using the Social Security Death Index

Whether you’re working and paying Social Security taxes, or retired and drawing a Social Security check, when you hear the words "Social Security" you can bet the first thing that comes to mind is "money".

But money isn’t everything. The Social Security Administration has a wealth of information that can be useful to genealogists too.

The first thing you’ll need to know to access available information is the website address: www.socialsecurity.gov

Anything else is either a paid site, a business, or someone’s personal pursuit. Some of these may, however, be easier to navigate than the government site! But for those who choose to use the Social Security Administration online, there are several ways to reach the Death Index Master File. The quickest is by typing the words "Death Index" into the site’s search line. This takes you to a wide range of choices, but about half-way down the first page, you’ll see another place to click called "Questions About Social Security" with a subhead that includes the words "Death Index". This actually takes you to a page with more information than if you click any of the choices above it that have "Death Index" right in the "click here" line.

Scroll down the list of questions a bit, and you’ll see "Death Index/Records". This is a master file of everyone who has died since 1936 when the administration began keeping Social Security records. Another important date to remember is that the Social Security Administration cannot search for people born before 1865.

Records available from the Social Security Administration include a copy of the application for an original Social Security card (in the ancestor’s own handwriting!) and any information from the claims folder for past recipients of benefits.

To get any of these, you will have to fill out a Freedom of Information Act request. A live link at this spot takes you to the form whenever you’re ready. (Remember dead persons do not have privacy rights. You are permitted access to any of these records.)

Because records are filed by Social Security numbers rather than by names, it’s easier for the Social Security Administration to find your record if they have the number. That isn’t your problem. So don’t despair if you don’t know Great Grandfather John’s Social Security number. Just type in his name – exactly as you know it. Without the Social Security number, it helps if you also have the date and place of birth. Remember, each item entered narrows the search. The site says you need all these facts, plus the person’s parents’ names as well, but many families have found relatives on this site with nothing more than a name, especially if it’s unique. If your information is not available online, the Social Security Administration will search for it by name for $29 and by Social Security number for $27. Instructions on how to do this are on the site.

But typing in only a name, or a name and date of birth, could result in a box popping up with exactly what you need to know.

Another possibility is that there were several people with the same name and birth date so it helps if you know the general area of the country where the person was born; or the year of his or her death. So just click on each person until you find who you’re searching for. The place and date of birth and death and last known address of residence for each will appear. And what you can do with the last known address is a topic all by itself!