This is an excerpt from an article in Ancestry: Social Security Death Master File: A Much Misunderstood Index Common Misconceptions Most importantly, close to 98% of the entire index contains individuals who died after 1962 (when the SSA began keeping the database on computer). Genealogically speaking, family documents, reminiscences, oral interviews, and other close-at-hand material usually provides much more information than the average entry in the Master Death File, especially for those individuals who have passed away in the last generation. It is important that the index be analyzed with a view towards its actual research value. Its major benefit at present may lie in its ability to serve as a steppingstone to further research or as a verification of other sources. Though it is certainly true that the index can be of immense value for those who are for some reason unfamiliar with their parents or grandparents, the majority of researchers do not find themselves in this situation. Employees working for a subsidiary of a U.S. company abroad or self-employed farmers became eligible for Social Security in 1955. Materially participating farmers (those who owned the land and took at least a managerial role in the farming) became eligible in 1956. Self-employed lawyers, dentists, medical professionals (except medical doctors), and other professional groups received coverage in 1956. It was not until 1965 that medical doctors began receiving coverage. In a class by themselves, long-term railroad employees earn retirement under the Railroad Retirement Board, though they as a group also have Social Security cards. Originally granted special numbers in an exclusive range, those applying after June 1963 received numbers according to where they lived when they applied. About 430,000 of these pre-1963 railroad employees are presently included in the Master Death File. What the Social Security Master Death File Can Tell You: The original database from the SSA contains fields for the following information: Social Security number, last name, first name, date of death, date of birth, the zip code of last residence, zip code of lump sum payment [if any], and in some cases a special state or country residence code (especially valuable if the individual is residing outside the U.S.). The government allows for twelve letters in the last name and nine characters in the first name, with any additional characters simply left off. Death dates in the vast majority of cases before 1988 contained month and year only. The zip code of last residence may not be the actual place of death, especially if an individual died in an out-of-town hospital, on vacation, etc. Why You May Not Find Your Ancestors: If you are unsuccessful in a Social Security Death Master File search, run through the following checklist for some possible reasons why you did not find a particular individual: The individual did not have a Social Security card. Especially before 1951, it is entirely possible that your ancestor did not have a Social Security number at all. The self-employed, farmers, military, government employees, some professional groups (doctors, lawyers), did not receive coverage until the 1950s and 60s. Certain members of the family may have never had the need to enroll in Social Security (retired individuals, housewives, etc.). The individual had a Social Security card, but his/her death was not reported to the SSA. The Death Master File only contains those deaths reported to the SSA. The individual is in the file, but listed under another name or another spelling. Try other spellings of the individual's name, including middle names, nicknames, initials, maiden names, other married surnames, etc. The individual is in the file, but original data was reported or recorded incorrectly. Edith <<I have searched the index for many names that were not there. I knew them to be dead, with ss#s, and no one collecting any benefits from them. It was my understanding from what I had read about this index, that any death benefit issued for a social security number holder would be included on the list. I would be curious to know why so many are missing from this index. Does anyone know if it would do any good to notify the SSA about these omissions? This is a valuable genealogical research tool. It would be nice if it were complete.>>