> Can anyone tell us when U.S. Social Security came into being? > > Bunny Turner > Halifax, Nova Scotia > Canada > bunnypat@eastlink.ca The answer depends on *exactly* what you're needing to know. (g) SSA was authorized by an Act of Congress in 1935; in 1936 they began collecting payments; in 1937, they paid their first benefit; in Oct 1962, they began computerizing their records, resulting in what we know today as the SSDI. If you're looking at the SSDI for the death of someone who died before Oct 1962, the odds are against it being there. HOWEVER -- if you're looking for someone who died after 1963 and they're not there, that's reasonable too. For a fairly long period, Railroad workers had a separate pension plan which didn't report to SSA; so did the military, the Federal, state, and local governments. My GF a retired Railroader died in 1964; his pension checks said Railroad Retirement and his death isn't on the SSDI, even though I personally filed the death-benefits papers on his widow's behalf. Hope this helps! Cheryl singhals@erols.com