SSDI’s New Companion: U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
Posted by Juliana Szucs on July 24, 2015 in Ancestry.com Site, Collections
The Social Security Death Index (SSDI) was among the first collections posted on Ancestry when the website first began adding content back in 1996. Since then, it has been a boon to researchers looking for 20th-century ancestors and those doing descendancy, heirship, and other types of forensic genealogical research.
Once you locate an ancestor in the SSDI, you can get even more details and a glimpse at your ancestor’s autograph by requesting the SS-5 form, which is the application they filled out for to request a Social Security number. The SS-5 gives the applicant’s . . .
The Social Security Death Index (SSDI) was among the first collections posted on Ancestry when the website first began adding content back in 1996. Since then, it has been a boon to researchers looking for 20th-century ancestors and those doing descendancy, heirship, and other types of forensic genealogical research.
Once you locate an ancestor in the SSDI, you can get even more details and a glimpse at your ancestor’s autograph by requesting the SS-5 form, which is the application they filled out for to request a Social Security number. The SS-5 gives the applicant’s . . .
name, address at the time of the application, employer’s name and address, full birth date and place, gender, race, parents’ names, and signature. Below is my grandfather’s SS-5.
The downside? It costs $27 and it takes time: they suggest allowing 4-6 weeks for delivery. (Information on requesting an SS-5 can be found here.)
For 49 million people whose records were extracted by the Social Security Administration (SSA), some of these details can now be found on Ancestry. In Ancestry’s exclusive new collection U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, you’ll find information filed with the Social Security Administration through the application or claims process, including valuable details such as birth date, birthplace, and parents’ names. While not everyone found in the SSDI is included in this collection, you may find some people in this collection that are not in the SSDI.
My great-grandfather does not appear in the SSDI (most likely because his death was not reported to the SSA), but there is an extract from a life claim he made in 1948.
For 49 million people whose records were extracted by the Social Security Administration (SSA), some of these details can now be found on Ancestry. In Ancestry’s exclusive new collection U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, you’ll find information filed with the Social Security Administration through the application or claims process, including valuable details such as birth date, birthplace, and parents’ names. While not everyone found in the SSDI is included in this collection, you may find some people in this collection that are not in the SSDI.
My great-grandfather does not appear in the SSDI (most likely because his death was not reported to the SSA), but there is an extract from a life claim he made in 1948.
While the contents of the extract will vary from person to person, this is a fantastic resource for 20th-century research, and you don’t have to wait 4-6 weeks for results. Dive in and start searching for your family now.
Juliana Szucs has been working for Ancestry.com for more than 16 years. She began her family history journey trolling through microfilms with her mother at the age of 11. She has written many articles for online and print genealogical publications and wrote the "Computers and Technology" chapter of The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy. Juliana holds a certificate from Boston University's Online Genealogical Research Program, and is currently on the clock working towards certification from the Board for Certification of Genealogists.
http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2015/07/24/ssdis-new-companion-u-s-social-security-applications-and-claims-index-1936-2007/
http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2015/07/24/ssdis-new-companion-u-s-social-security-applications-and-claims-index-1936-2007/