Genealogy Blog Family History

Family History BlitzPosted by Administrator on November 20th, 2009

 As I mentioned in my last post, our family just came into a huge list of names and dates. And it seems like the subject of compiling everything in one place has been in the air every time my cousins and I get together. People have records here and records there, stuff shoved into shoe boxes or old photo albums. Because we can’t shake the nagging feeling that we need to make an inventory of all the records we have, we are getting together this Saturday for a family history blitz.

This means we’re going to go online and see what we have already. Then we’re going to take all the loose bits of paper and notes on the backs of photos and make sure everything is accounted for. At the end, we’ll know where we’re missing information, where our efforts should placed. 

Has anyone out there ever done this? Did it work? Let me know.

Social security death benefitsPosted by Administrator on August 20th, 2009

When a loved one passes away, their Social Security Death Benefits can be collected by their surviving relatives. Monthly survivors benefits can be paid to certain family members, including the beneficiary’s widow or widower, dependent children and dependent parents.

According to the Social Security Administration website, a one-time payment of $255 is payable to the surviving spouse if he or she was living with the beneficiary at the time of death. If they were living apart, the surviving spouse is eligible for Social Security benefits on the beneficiary’s earnings record for the month of death.

If there is no surviving spouse, the beneficiary’s child can collect the benefits on the beneficiary’s earnings record in the month of their death.

To claim these benefits, family members or whoever is managing the beneficiary’s affairs should:

• Promptly notify Social Security of the beneficiary’s death by calling SSA toll-free at 1-800-772-1213. (TTY 1-800-325-0778.)
• If monthly benefits were being paid via direct deposit, notify the bank or other financial institution of the beneficiary’s death. Request that any funds received for the month of death and later be returned to Social Security as soon as possible.
• If benefits were being paid by check, DO NOT CASH any checks received for the month in which the beneficiary died or thereafter. Return the checks to Social Security as soon as possible.

Social security administrationPosted by Administrator on August 20th, 2009

Headquartered in Woodlawn, Maryland, the Social Security Administration of the United States of America was created by the federal government to administer a social insurance program that gives retirement, survivors’, and disability benefits to American workers. This program is paid for by Social Security taxes collected from American workers’ paychecks during their working lives.

The Social Security Administration includes 10 regional offices, 8 processing centers, 1300 field offices, and 37 Teleservice centers. It employs a whopping 62,000 people to run its operations and is the biggest social welfare program in the country.