Tag: database

The Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007

A quick place to check for the foreign place of birth of an immigrant who lived well into the twentieth century is the Social Security Applications and Claims Index. The Claims index, also known as Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT) usually includes place of birth, father’s name, mother’s maiden name, date of birth, date of death, race, social security number, and name changes.

This index is comprised of some individuals who died between 1936 and 2007 who also had signed-up for Social Security. The database is most complete for those who died in or after 1962, which is when the Social Security Administration began computerizing death information.

The information in the database comes from social security applications (SS-5), social security claims, and social security death entries. For more detailed information about the compilation of this database, see the National Archives’ document “Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Numerical Identification (NUMIDENT) Files, Record Group 47.”

The Social Security Applications and Claims Index is freely accessible on the National Archives website in the Access to Archival Databases (AAD) and on FamilySearch. It is also available in Ancestry.com.

Example NUMIDENT entry from the AAD (split in two parts):

Social Security Applications (SS-5)

If your deceased ancestor is not in the Claims Index, or you would like a copy of the original social security application (SS-5), you can make a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. Currently, there is a $30 fee to receive a copy, but it generally only takes a few weeks to receive a scan of the document.

The application typically includes place of birth, father’s name, mother’s maiden name, date of birth, race, social security number, employer, and the applicant’s signature. Parents’ names will be redacted if the individual whose application you are requesting would have been under 100 years old at the time of your request.