Genealogy Blog Family History

More About Social Security and Railroad Retirement Efforts – George G. MorganPosted by Administrator on May 14th, 2005

My recent “Along Those Lines . . .” column concerning Social Security and Railroad
Retirement records generated a lot of e-mail from readers, some positive and
some not so positive. As a follow-up to that column, I wanted to share some
feedback I received from that column and from conversations I’ve had with several
researchers.

Records Not Included In The SSDI
One reader wrote to say that I omitted another reason for a person’s name not
being included in the Social Security Death Index (SSDI). He pointed out that
persons who received benefits but who were deceased before the SSA began keeping
electronic records would not be included in the SSDI. As you search and review
the results from the SSDI (www.ancestry.com/ssdi),
you will see the “Issued” field contains a state and a year. The year is actual,
back to 1951. SSA lists anything prior to electronic assignment records as “Prior
to 1951″ and determines place of issue based on its area chart. Even though
deceased individuals are not included in the SSDI, you can still obtain a copy
of their SS-5 application for a Social Security number by contacting the SSA.
As indicated in my column of 11 July 2001, the current price for a copy is $27
where you can provide the number and $29 where you can only provide the person’s
name, date, and place of birth, and any other information other than the number
to help them locate the record.

Not My Social Security Number
One e-mail I received was from a woman reporting that Social Security number
586 was used in Mississippi and that she had never lived in any of those [other]
places. (Those places being Guam, American Samoa, and the Philippine Islands.)
My source for the information in the column was Loretto D. Szucs’ and Sandra
H. Luebking’s book, The Source, published in a revised edition by Ancestry,
Inc., in 1997. To corroborate their information, I located a Social
Security Administration Web page with a complete chart of area number assignments.

I have had two experiences with this type of thing in the past. In one instance,
a researcher couldn’t understand why his Social Security number began with 586.
He requested a copy of the SS-5 completed when he was a baby by his father and
found that the application was filed when his parents were living in the Philippines
after World War II.

In another case, one of my employees visited the SSA office in Chicago a year
before she planned to retire to have a calculation of benefits run for her.
To her amazement, it was found that someone else was also using the same Social
Security number. It turned out that the other person had gotten a number incorrect
on an employment form almost twenty years before and had been paying into the wrong
Social Security account. It took the SSA almost six months to sort the problem
out and reallocate the payment amounts into the correct accounts. The point
here is that if you have any questions about the assignment or origin of a Social
Security number, contact the SSA for a copy of the SS-5. You may find that an
unusual area number is actually a clue to where the person was living and/or
working at the time the number was assigned.

According to The Source and the SSA Web site, 586 was not assigned to
Mississippi. I responded to the writer, referred her to these resources, and
suggested she might want to obtain a copy of her own SS-5 to verify the information
on the application and the number that was assigned. (It is not unusual for
numbers to get scrambled over time, and now is as good a time as any to straighten
out any problems.)

Railroad Retirement Board—Positive Experience
Another reader wrote to state that she had seen a number of examples of the
records from the Railroad Retirement Board and generously offered to allow me
to quote her about her experience. She wrote, “One of my grandfathers worked
‘on the railroad’ from about 1906 to 1953 and received railroad retirement until
his death in 1966; his wife, my grandmother, received her survivor’s benefits
until her death in 1983. Although I had searched every record I could find (and
there are four generations of genealogists and historians in my family who save
records plus my own research), I did not have his social security number, nor
does his name appear in the social security death records. It was not even on
his death certificate.

“I sent the Railroad Retirement Board copies of his and my father’s death
certificates, copies of their birth certificates, and a copy of my own birth
certificate to prove relationships. In addition, I sent birth dates and places,
parent’s names, city of residence, the years of suspected employment, which
proved to be “off” by several years on each “end,” and the years I believed
that he had received the pension. I included similar information for my grandmother
and gave them contact information if they needed more. I sent the fee, of course,
and my cover letter was specific in telling who I was.

“Within about six weeks, I had twenty-one pages of information and it was far more
complete than you suggested for the Social Security information (which is why
I am writing to you.) What I received was the most complete record of employment
and income that I have for any individual. It showed his employment back to
1915 and stated that he had been employed from August 1906. But it also showed
his income by month for many years, through 1938, when he applied! All of his
application seemed to be there and it included every job, every promotion, every
increase in pay, and the dates of each. Also included was my grandmother’s registration
before he retired, his application for retirement, the amount of pension, when
he died, her information after he died, and when the pension ended. It even
noted the exact time he was serving in World War I including month, day, and
years. It included birth information even noting that it was “not verified.”
Repeatedly, different forms are signed by either or both of my grandparents.
In short, it is the most complete document I have ever seen for a single individual.

“For my grandmother, they have detailed information as to her birth, because
she did not have a birth certificate at that time. (She did get a delayed birth
certificate, which she proved by getting the family Bible and her certificate
very helpfully lists the aunt who owned the Bible at the time!) According to
the information, she took the Bible to the “State Registrar” who made a certified
copy. The registrar described it as yellowed, with faded ink and said “eight
births ranging from 2/20/82 to 11/30/99 together on a page headed ‘births’.”
It did not include a reproduction of the pages, nor the dates of the Bible,
however.”

As this researcher indicates, the records from the RRB may, indeed, be a treasure
trove. Even Social Security earnings records, when they can be obtained through
a separate request to the SSA (and an additional fee), can provide a full earnings
history. This history is, after all, what the SSA uses to calculate benefit
amounts. In any event, as this researcher indicates, records can be obtained
from the RRB, but be prepared to present ample proof of your identity and your
relationship to the individual whose records you are requesting.

Railroad Retirement Board—Not So Positive Experiences
While Railroad Retirement can provide some extensive records, in other cases,
they are sketchy and incomplete, with only a copy of an initial application,
an application for benefits, proof of age, and a copy of a benefits statement.
In two other cases, I’ve have discussions with researchers who are the proven
and documented children of the railroad employees where the RRB has informed
them that there are NO records for their fathers. In both cases, these children
had the card with the RRB number on it and copies of benefit statements. Still,
when these were presented to the RRB, along with proof of relationship, the
RRB still asserted that there were no records in their files for these employees.

In another case, an African American woman told me that the RRB refused to
give her copies of her father’s records, even when she provided a copy of her
birth certificate showing him as her father and her father’s death certificate.
The RRB advised her in writing that they would not release any records except
to the individual or his spouse, both of whom were deceased at that time. Two
subsequent appeals were denied. I’ve seen all the correspondence myself on this
instance, and I advised the woman to contact her Congressman for assistance.
Almost a year later, she called me to say she had finally obtained the records
she sought.

Another woman told me at a seminar that she had requested her uncle’s Railroad
Retirement records and that the RRB refused her request because she was not
a blood relative. She was told that a request would have to be made by the railroad
employee, his spouse, or one of his children.

If all of these cases sound contradictory and confusing, they are. The
RRB’s Web site and its Web page specifically geared for genealogical researchers
provides general guidelines for requesting records. However, there are no qualifications
listed regarding relationship of the requestor to the person whose records are
being requested. Therefore, if you are making an inquiry, be prepared to prove
your relationship in the event the RRB official handling your request requires
it.

Managing Your Expectations
The point of all of this is that sometimes we hit the mother lode and sometimes
we are disappointed. Call me a skeptic, but I know we need to learn how to manage
our expectations, especially regarding what we may or may not receive when we
write away for records. To quote a speech from one of my favorite plays, John
Patrick’s The Curious Savage, “It’s best to believe the worst. If you
believe the worst, then the worst is only half bad at best. And the best is
no worse than expected. So it’s best to believe the worst.” In the case of the
records for which we send away, if you expect little, you are seldom disappointed;
but if you receive a bonanza, you can rejoice and ride the euphoria of discovery.
With Social Security and Railroad Retirement records, I wish you all a bonanza.

Happy Hunting!
George

The Social Security Death Index – Roseann Reinemuth Hogan, Ph.DPosted by Administrator on March 14th, 2005

The Social Security Death Index (also known among genealogists as the SSDI) is a valuable tool for individuals researching the death information of a recently-deceased (after 1962) family member. Approximately 98 percent of the individuals in the database died after 1962.

The fact that the Social Security Administration required proof of birth to issue a number is a boon to genealogical researchers. This requirement has generated a tremendous amount of relevant genealogical data in the Social Security Administration as well as at the state level.

Because early recipients of social security were born in years before civil registration of births was required, many of the delayed birth certificates filed at the state level were a result of needing proof of birth to apply for social security benefits. People also used a variety of other sources to prove their age to the Social Security Administration, such as family Bibles, church records, testimony from friends and family, and the 1880 and 1900 federal census enumeration lists. In fact, it was the frequent use of the federal censuses for birth information that resulted in soundexing the enumerations for easier access.

The application for social security benefits, known as the SS-5 form, contains a wealth of information and is provided in your ancestor’s own words and handwriting. If your ancestor was working in the United States in 1937 or later, there is a good chance he or she completed an application. Once you find your ancestor in the SSDI, you can submit a form to the Social Security Administration, along with a fee, and receive a copy of the application. Visit <www.ancestry.com/ search/rectype/vital/ssdi/main.htm> and follow the steps for obtaining a copy of your ancestor’s application.

Who has a Social Security number?

The Social Security Act was signed into law on 14 August 1935. The Act created a social insurance program that was designed to pay retired workers at age sixty-five or older a continuing income. Under the 1935 law, workers would begin acquiring credits toward old-age insurance beginning 1 January 1937. Benefits were to be based on the wage record of the individual and were of three types: 1) monthly benefits at age sixty-five, 2) lump sum payments, and 3) death benefits to the estates of individuals who died before drawing benefits.

Because the primary, but not exclusive, purpose of the social security system was to provide a retirement income to working people, the prevalence of social security numbers before 1960 was not as widespread as it is today. (Today, it is not unusual that young children acquire social security numbers.) But as the Social Security Administration’s scope grew, more and more people in the United States received Social Security numbers. Beginning in the 1960s, the use of the Social Security number as a national identifier became more prevalent. In 1962, the Internal Revenue Service adopted the Social Security number as its official taxpayer identification number. Similarly, when Medicare was adopted in 1965, it became necessary for most individuals over the age of sixty-five to have a Social Security number so they could obtain medical benefits.

At the outset, many workers were not covered by the program, including farmers, women who did not work outside the home, teachers, municipal employees who were covered by other pension plans, some government employees, unemployed people, and those with a separate retirement plan. The people who fit in these categories did not contribute to social security.

On the other hand, if an individual was self-employed most of his life, he may have taken a job for the minimum number of years to qualify for a pension.

Content in the Index

The Social Security Death Index has some 66 million names in it, but the individuals in the SSDI are only those who had a Social Security number and whose death was reported by surviving family members for the death benefit. In addition, this information has only been computerized since 1962. That year, the Social Security Administration began to use the database to process requests for benefits. If you don’t find a name right away in the index, try spelling variations of the name, use the soundex feature, truncate the name as much as possible, use wildcard searches, and search on different fields.

Generally, a search of the index will yield information in any of six areas: name of the deceased, birthdate, date of death, state in which number was issued, residence, and address of last benefit.

1. Name of the deceased. Be sure to check all names of the deceased, especially if you are searching for a woman. If you don’t find what you expect, do a soundex search to ensure that the name was not misspelled when the information was indexed.

2. Birthdate. This is the birthdate confirmed by the Social Security Administration. As mentioned previously, the person was required to provide a number of documents to prove his or her age. But the date may not match the information you already have in your records.

3. Date of death. This is the date the person was reported to have died. Usually only the month and year shows on the index since only the benefit month is the interest of the Social Security Administration. Before 1988, the death date was not routinely recorded, so these dates may be suspect. Leave the date off entirely if you don’t find a match.

4. State in which number was issued. This is not necessarily the birth state of the individual, it is the state in which he or she applied for a Social Security number. When searching the index, leave the state field blank if the person’s name you are seeking does not show up as expected. For example, I searched for my grandfather’s death date without luck until I decided to delete Kentucky as the state of issuance from the search. His name came up immediately since this field was left blank in the index.

5. Residence. The residence field shows the zip code, city, and county that the Social Security Administration has of the date of the last correspondence with the person. Or it may be the address where the benefit check was sent. Remember that zip codes often change over time, so don’t rely on that information as you search.

6. Address of last benefit. This is the last address where a check was directed, but it may be empty if the person did not receive benefits, or if it is the same address as the residence address.

Many people may not appear in the index simply because their relatives did not apply for the death benefit, even if they had a social security number and were eligible to receive benefits.

There are many exceptions to the Administration’s regulations, and your ancestor’s information may fall in that category. My father’s record is an excellent example. Although permanent railroad employees were covered under the Railroad Retirement Act rather than Social Security, my father’s only paid employment was with the C&O railroad, yet he appears in the index. These railway workers were sometimes enrolled in the same social security program, but with different benefits than the general population. Some railroad workers received social security benefits while others did not.

The Social Security Death Index is an incredibly rich data source. And because this information is part of the public record, you can find the index online free of charge at various websites including www.ancestry.com.

Hopefully, the information provided above will encourage you to use the SSDI as an aid in your family research. Remember, as with any record resource, be sure to verify the information you find in the SSDI with other documents.

Roseann Reinemuth Hogan, Ph.D., has been researching her family history since 1978. Her special interests include oral histories and social history.

U.S. Social Security Death Index – Kathi SittnerPosted by Administrator on February 14th, 2005

When Social Security benefits were instituted in 1937, each employed person filed an application for a Social Security number. The application form asked questions concerning birth date and place, parents’ names, spouse’s name, and residence address at the time of the application. To receive benefits, individuals were also required to document their births, even if their birth states had not required birth registration. The 1880 and 1900 census enumerations were partially or fully indexed to help provide this documentation, and, during this time, many delayed birth certificates were issued by counties when individuals submitted family information such as Bibles to the court. The resulting information was kept in the individual’s Social Security files and is now available from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Social Security Administration through the Freedom of Information Act.

Indexes to these records are now accessible through the Social Security Death Index of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Family History Library (FHL) in Salt Lake City and through its branch family history centers, and it is available for purchase on CD-ROM as part of the FHL Family Search program; online on CompuServe; for purchase in nine track tape format on 9- or 12-inch reels from the Social Security Administration; on CD-ROM from Cambridge, Inc.; and through the “Social Security Death Benefit Index” portion of the Banner Blue (BB) Division of Broderbund’s Master Name Index, which is included with their Family Tree Maker computer program, or as “Family Archives,” a separate program on two CD-ROMs.

The FHL’s Social Security Death Index includes approximately 60 million deceased people who had Social Security numbers and whose deaths were reported to the Social Security Administration between 1962 and 1993, soon to be 1994. A few earlier and later deaths are also included, and the list is updated periodically as further information is received.

The index lists names first by the surname, then the given name, then the year of birth. It does not specify the birthplace or provide the names of the spouse or children, so sometimes several entries fit the individual being sought. While the place or residence and year of birth are helpful in determining the correct person, this data is not required to access the index. To find an individual, look for the person’s name as used for legal purposes at the time of death. Thus, married women are generally found under their last married names, and if a person changed his or her name, the final, not the original, name would be indexed. In a few cases, a married woman may be found under her maiden name, especially if she worked only before her marriage and never informed the Social Security Administration of her marriage. Sometimes nicknames are used, but more often the formal, first Christian name is the one found in the index. In cases in which a first attempt to locate the individual is unsuccessful, try alternate spellings, as they may be indexed by different Soundex codes.

You can filter or limit your search to specific selected states. You can search only those states where a Social Security number may have been issued to the person or only those states where the person may have lived at the time of death. Filtering increases the time required for the computer to display the list, but can be very helpful when seeking a common name.

Information on the computer screen shows all persons within the designated search area who have the name you entered, beginning with the birth year you have specified. Each entry tells the birth year, the state where the Social Security number was issued, the year of death, and the last state where the person resided. When an individual’s name is highlighted, further information about this person appears: the birth month and year, the Social Security number, the death month and year (after 1987 the day of death is also included), the state of residence at death, the state where the death benefit was sent, and the postal zip codes of these last two places. If a person died before zip codes were listed (the mid-1960s), the locality information may not be included.

Because the BB program is presently the most commonly used alternative to the FHL version, I would like to point out that, while the information provided on the BB program is similar, the programs are very different. On the positive side, although generally very time-consuming unless the name is extremely unusual, the BB program allows a search for a female individual by a first name and a known birth date but unknown death surname or for a known Social Security number, such as for a child under 18 who was adopted and whose name was subsequently changed. The FHL program does not have these features, which can be extremely useful in locating “lost” family members who may have useful information about your ancestral family. The BB program also includes quite a few names from the original Social Security lists which did not meet the criteria to be included in the final Social Security Death Index. However, compared to the FHL index, BB’s index is not Soundex indexed, is slow, and requires an exact spelling of the name as entered in the index. This is a problem, since the index often truncates long names such as “Johnso” instead of Johnson, skips spaces such as “Gbb” for Gibb, and includes some incorrect spellings such as “Dgnohue” instead of Donohue. These problems can be partially avoided by using wild card entries, but the result is a cumbersome list of names which take a long time to search. If a state is specified for an individual but no zip code is available for that state, BB” program will not find the individual, whereas the FHL program does not depend on the zip codes and if an exact match is not found, it will simply list all people by that surname as alternatives. Similarly, if a “known” death year is specified when using the BB program but the year is actually incorrect or not listed, that individual cannot be found. An individual found in the BB program, cannot be placed in a holding file, and an attempt must be made to find the individual’s death place by going to a separate Zip Code Directory, whereas the FHL index provides immediate information simply by entering on the name and does allow for storage in a holding file.

If you find a person in the Social Security Death Index, you can order copies of the Social Security file from the Social Security Administration. Send a copy of the information or a letter which provides the Social Security number and information and a check to:

Social Security Administration

4-H8 Annex Building

6401 Security Blvd.

Baltimore, MD 21235

Attn: Freedom of Information Officer

Responses take about three months.

If you don’t find an individual in the file, you may still be able to obtain copies of the Social Security file by locating his or her death certificate which often includes the Social Security number. This can then be used to request the records. Remember that the individual may not be in the index because he or she never received a Social Security number, because relatives did not report the death to the Social Security Administration, because the individual died before 1962 when the records were computerized, or because of an error in issuing or reporting the Social Security number.