| Searching vital records, such as births and | | | | is listed, if available. This is of enormous value to |
| marriages, are pretty darned easy nowadays | | | | insurance companies, credit companies, Homeland |
| thanks to the Internet. Public records have | | | | Security and the like. If someone is dead, they |
| become freely searchable, including Social Security | | | | obviously should not be using their social security |
| death records. Although there are a few places | | | | number anymore! So, since the social security |
| where you will have to pay to download public | | | | number is one of the searchable fields on the |
| death records, there are also a fair share of free | | | | database, inputting a SSN from a new employee |
| resources available. | | | | and having a record appear means that your new |
| The Social Security Death Index (SSDI) is the | | | | employee may very well not be who they say |
| largest public death records database available | | | | they are...and it is time for you to make some |
| online and can be found at This database, which is | | | | decisions, particularly as it is now illegal to |
| sponsored and offered free by Ancestry.com, | | | | knowingly hire illegal aliens. |
| draws its data from the Social Security Death | | | | While preventing fraud is one use, stopping |
| Master File as compiled by the U.S. Social Security | | | | payments such as pension payments might not |
| Administration. This Death Master File contains | | | | be the first thing a bereaved family thinks of |
| over 65 million records. However, it is not a | | | | doing. Regularly checking of the Social Security |
| complete listing of deaths in the United States as | | | | Death Master File, which is updated on a weekly |
| not all deaths have been reported to the Social | | | | basis, by appropriate agencies and organizations |
| Security Administration, particularly those deaths | | | | allows such payments to be stopped |
| prior to the creation of the Social Security | | | | appropriately, saving taxpayer money. |
| Administration in 1935 and those that are very | | | | As you can see, accessing Social Security death |
| recent. | | | | records is now easy and free. If you need more |
| Why would anyone want to search death | | | | than just a confirmation of death, the date of |
| records? Often death records are searched as | | | | death or other basic information, you may need |
| part of genealogical research. Whenever available, | | | | to order a copy of a death record or death |
| results in the death index reveal the birth and | | | | certificate. There is an entirely different process. |
| death dates, as well as the city reported as being | | | | To do this, you will either need to contact the |
| the last known address of the person, aiding | | | | county records department where the individual |
| people in building their family trees and tracking | | | | died or you will need to obtain the services of an |
| down more data about family members. | | | | online death records provider. |
| In addition, the deceased's social security number | | | | |