Soc Sec app requests up from $7.00 to $27.00-effective 1 July 2001 This is one of our most valuable sources for genealogical information. With this unreasonable price increase many of us on fixed incomes will no longer be able to persue this avenue of our research. First the huge NARA record price increase, now this one. Are these absurd, huge, but evidently legal, price increases being used to discourage the use of the Freedom of Information Act? I wonder if it would do any good to write to our Congressman? Carol V http://www.ssa.gov/foia/foia_guide.htm#_Toc517745431 <http://www.ssa.gov/foia/foia_guide.htm#_Toc517745431> A small portion of a long article taken from the SSA webpage: "Fee Schedule For Frequently Requested Records Requests for records of Social Security number (SSN) holders, claimants and wage earners, are covered by a separate fee schedule. This fee schedule is based on the full cost of processing the request. We use an average fee for some frequently requested records. We are increasing some of these fees beginning July 1, 2001 (see chart below). We analyzed the costs for providing these records and services; and we computed the new fees on that basis. These fees were last increased in 1988, so some of the increases are substantial. Fees For Processing Requests For Individual’s Social Security Record Effective July 1, 2001 Request for copy of Original Application for Social Security Card (Form SS-5), SSN Provided $27 Request for copy of Original Application for Social Security Card (Form SS-5), SSN Not Provided $29 Request for Computer Extract of Social Security Number Application, SSN Provided $16 Request for Computer Extract of Social Security Number Application, SSN Not Provided $18 Search for Information about Death of an Individual, SSN Provided $16 Search for Information about Death of an Individual, SSN Not Provided $18 "