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What is the SSDI?

The SSDI (Social Security Death Index or Social Security Death Benefits Records) contains about 50 million names of certain deceased individuals in the U.S. While the SSDI doesn't include everyone in the US who has died, it does have a lot of people: namely, people who died after 1937 for whom a lump sum death benefit was claimed by somebody. Social Security numbers for individuals to whom no payment was claimed are not included in this database. There are also missing entries in the data, and, of course, errors.

 The fields displayed in the Social Security Death Records are as follows:

 

FIELD...............ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
------------------------------------------------------------------
SSN.................Social Security Number
LAST NAME...........Surname
FIRST NAME..........Given name
BIRTH...............Birth date (month/day/year)
ISSUING STATE.......State in which SSN was issued
DEATH...............Death date (month/day/year)
R ZIP...............ZIP Code (R) of last known residence
P ZIP...............ZIP Code of address where death payment was sent
RC..................State of primary residence

  ANCESTRY has enabled the SOCIAL SECURITY DEATH INDEX to operate within a searchable online window.

NOTE

When searching the SSDI with Ancestry, you will get the name you search for, the person's birthdate and deathdate. On a regular CD ROM database such as those used in the Family History Centers, you will also get the location of the place the registrant applied and the place (zip code) where the death benefit was sent.

What do I do with the information?

Once you have the Social Security Number (SSN) you can get a copy of the original application for Social Security. Formerly this was done with the SSA-L997 (Social Security Number Record of 3d Party Request for Extract or Photocopy) form. However, this form is now obsolete. Instead, here are the current instructions from Social Security (4/97):

 

Our records are filed by Social Security numbers and not by names. If you could not provide the Social Security numbers, we still could search for a person's records by using the full name, date and place of birth, and parents' names (including mother's maiden name). Since you can provide this information we can search our records to determine whether or not we can be of assistance.

Before searching our records, you should know that we must charge a fee. The fee for searching for the SS-5 application when the Social Security number is provided is $7.00 and when the number is unknown but identifying information is provided the fee is $16.50. The fee for searching for the claim file is $14, and photocopying material from the claim file is 10 cents a page, plus actual postage. The search fee will be charged even if we are unable to locate or disclose any information.

 Please understand that our records are confidential and we do not disclose information about individuals unless they are deceased or we have their consent to do so. However, we cannot make a decision on disclosure until we locate any records that we may have.

If you want us to search for these records, please send a written request and a check or money order payable to the Social Security Administration and mail it to the Freedom of Information Staff, 4-C-5 Annex Building, 6401 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21235.

 

TO REQUEST RECORDS:
Social Security Administration
F.O.I.A. (Freedom of Information Act) Staff
4-C-5 Annex Building
6401 Security Blvd
Baltimore, MD 21235

 For further clarification, you can also contact Social Security at:

Department of Health and Human Services
Social Security Administration
Office of Central Records Operation
300 North Green St
Baltimore, MD 21201
Toll free number: 1-800-772-1213 (don't call when you're pressed for time!)

The Social Security Administration also has an online FAQ that addresses questions about searches and genealogy.

 Be prepared to wait about 10 weeks for your request. It's well worth the wait, however: you will get the following information from the form SS5: Full name, date and place of birth, father's name, mother's maiden name, address and employer at time of application, application date.

 

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