photo from The FDR Library

Social Security and Pension Records Social Security applications can be obtained after a person has died. First, use the SS Death Index to find the individual's social security number. It is possible to obtain an application without the SS#, but more expensive. Applications give a substantial amount of information about a person, which usually includes the mother's maiden name. (examples)

Rootsweb has a Social Security Death Record Index search engine with a built in letter writer. Note the VERY helpful clickable tutorial and how-to article on the right. The how-to article also contains information on railroad pensions. A briefer version: The Rootsweb Guide #10 is a helpful overview. Dear Myrt blogs about the SSDI, then later a follow up blog with even more information. A Dick Eastman blog on Using the SSDI offers a substantial amount of information and is followed by some interesting comments. The SSDI does contain errors. Rootsweb posted information about making corrections or annotating records to show the error. Many of the errors are caused by a doubling of the first letter, for example, DURANT as DDURANT. Sometimes the previous letter is appended, e.g. a DADE entry is listed as CDADE. Sometimes a letter is left out. In one case GIBBS is entered G BBS. A number key may have been hit instead of a letter. A LINDBLOM entry is listed as 6INDBLOM. I have no idea how the finger strayed from L to 6. Not everyone is included in the SSDI; it includes mainly those people for whom a death was reported to Social Security as a step to collect death benefits. Some people were not elibible to participate in Social Security and thus will not be included. Railroad employees were exempted from mandatory contributions. You may find separate pension records for those individuals, but you may also find them in the SSDI. The value of the death index is two fold. Once you know where the person resided at the time of death, you can more easily get the death record and obituary. Another is that with the social security number, you can apply for the actual application. There are several references to web pages about or searching the SSDI on Cydi's List. EXAMPLES: Here are some sample Social Security applications: 1936 application (typed) (printed ) find where the person worked * use it to find maiden names The U.S. Rail Road Retirement Board has a web site with information on how to locate and obtain Rail Road Pension Records. For an overview, see George Morgan's article "Railroad Retirement Board Records" A search for "Social Security" at the Repeat Performances website brought up 2 lectures on this topic (as of Sept. 2005)

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This page last updated May 17, 2008