The Social Security Death Index is a database of deceased US citizens with a Social Security number. It began in 1935 and contains basic information about the deceased. It is useful for genealogy research, but the Social Security Administration does not independently publish it. Additional information can be obtained through the National Insurance Office.
The Social Security Death Index is a service provided by the US Social Security Administration. Catalogs information on every deceased U.S. citizen who was assigned a Social Security number during their lifetime and whose death was reported to the Bureau of Social Security. The Social Security Death Index is one of the largest databases of citizen information in the world.
The index began soon after the Social Security Act was signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1935. Most Americans alive at the time applied for a Social Security number between 1935 and 1937. The first payments from the system were made as lump sums between 1937 and 1940, with monthly allowances beginning in 1940. Since then, Social Security benefits have been paid monthly, to qualified individuals, with regular increases to account for inflation and changes in the cost of living.
The early days of the Social Security Death Index are approximate. Until 1962, a surviving family member had to report the death to the social security administration. Because deaths were not automatically entered into the system, many of those who died before that date are not included in the index.
An entry in the Social Security Death Index contains basic information about the deceased. A person’s date of birth, date of death, place of last residence, and social security number are listed. This background information can be an important first step in finding out more about the deceased.
The death index has become an invaluable tool for those researching genealogy. Knowing a date of birth and residence can make it much easier to find ancestors through other channels of information. For example, marriage records can be confirmed by knowing a date of birth, or census records can be searched more easily by knowing where the relative lived and how old they were.
The Social Security Administration does not independently publish the Social Security Death Rate. Records that can be found online or through other genealogical searches are published by independent commercial organizations. The Social Security Administration does not directly support these organizations and is unable to verify the information provided by them.
In addition to the basic information in the death rate, there is other information that can be obtained about a deceased person through the National Insurance Office. Using the information in the death index, relatives can request a copy of the original application for a Social Security number. Having this question will provide more detailed information about the relative, including parental information and residency at the time of birth.
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