RootsWeb now offers the most recent version of the Social Security Death Index (SSDI), which includes records through February 2005, and is happy to announce that thanks to Ancestry.com this database is available and will be updated on a monthly schedule. http://ssdi.rootsweb.com/ This database contains several important bits of information on the more 74,734,651 persons whose deaths are on file with the U.S.'s Social Security Administration, including: social security number, date of issuance, state of issuance, date of birth, date of death, and last residence of record. The SSDI includes names of virtually all individuals deceased after 1962, the first full year records were computerized -- if the deaths were reported to the SSA. (A limited number of records from as far back as 1937 are also included.) The database also includes the names of legal aliens with social security numbers and some 400,000 railroad retirees, who may be entitled to collect Railroad Retirement Board pensions and benefits. However, there are many reasons why a person might not be in the SSDI: -- SSA might not have been notified of the person's death. -- Person might have died before the SSA began putting its records on the computer in 1962. -- Individual might not have had a Social Security number. -- Information might have been reported incorrectly. -- Person might have changed his or her name. -- Person might have used a different spelling of his or her name. -- Database has an estimated three per cent error rate. The most frequent reason researchers are unable to find someone in the SSDI is including too much information in the search options. If you are searching for Joseph L. Benefield (as an example), he might be recorded exactly that way, or as J. L. Benefield or as Joe Benefield or Joe Lawrence Benefield. His surname (family name) might be spelled differently than you expect. His birth and death dates may differ from the information you have. You might believe he resided in Kansas when he obtained his Social Security number, and perhaps he did, but the SSA office where it was issued was in Oklahoma at the time. If you are unsuccessful in finding someone, try searching with less information -- and be flexible and creative. Did you know that Social Security numbers (SSN) are not reused after a person dies? Even though the SSA has issued more than 415 million SSNs so far, and it assigns about 5.5 million new numbers a year, the current numbering system will provide it with enough new numbers for several generations into the future with no changes in the numbering system. See "Exploring the SSDI": http://rwguide.rootsweb.com/lesson10.htm ROOTSWEB REVIEW ADVERTISING CONTACTS. AdSales Worldwide: Shana Davis, creative@myfamilyinc.com * * * REPRINTS. Permission to reprint articles from RootsWeb Review is granted unless specifically stated otherwise, provided: (1) the reprint is used for non-commercial, educational purposes; and (2) the following notice appears at the end of the article: Previously published in RootsWeb Review: 6 April 2005, Vol. 8, No. 14. * * * *