Does anyone know what information I might find by sending for a copy of a Soc. Sec. Application for a person who probably started collecting between 1940 and 1950? I know that you have to have a copy of your birth certificate now but probably then many people did not have one. I really appreciate all advice and information on this. Thanks, Virginia virgpat@usfamily.net --- http://USFamily.Net/dialup.html - $8.25/mo! -- http://www.usfamily.net/dsl.html - $19.99/mo! ---

----- Original Message ----- From: "Virginia Patricelli" <virgpat@usfamily.net> > Does anyone know what information I might find by sending for a copy of a > Soc. Sec. Application for a person who probably started collecting between > 1940 and 1950? I know that you have to have a copy of your birth > certificate now but probably then many people did not have one. Virginia, If you send for a copy of the Social Security Number (SSN) application, all you will receive is a copy of the form (the Form SS-5) completed by the applicant or a computer extract, (see below for explanation). If the person had died very recently you could request information from their claim files. But it sounds like the person died long ago. The SS-5 requested the following information: Full name Full name at birth, including maiden name Present mailing address Age at last birthday Date of birth Place of birth (city, county, State) Father's full name Mother's full name, including maiden name Sex Race as indicated by the applicant Whether the applicant ever applied for Social Security or Railroad Retirement before Current employer's name and address Date signed Applicant's signature Here is some links to the Social Security Administration: This link explains how to order a copy of the application, the SS-5. An exact copy of the application will cost you $27.00 if you know the Social Security Number, $29.00 if you do not. OR, you can get just a computer extract, this is just a computer print out of the information that is on the application. This will cost you $16.00 if you know the SSN, $18.00 if you do not. While this method is cheaper, the additional expense for an exact copy will be more of a genealogy value, showing the handwriting of the applicant: http://ssa-custhelp.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/ssa.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=138&p_created=955632753&p_sid=QKNT4tJh&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9MzgmcF9wcm9kcz0mcF9jYXRzPTAmcF9wdj0mcF9jdj0mcF9zZWFyY2hfdHlwZT1hbnN3ZXJzLnNlYXJjaF9ubCZwX3BhZ2U9MSZwX3NlYXJjaF90ZXh0PW9idGFpbmluZyByZWNvcmRz&p_li=&p_topview=1 Here is an example of what the SS-5 looks like TODAY. http://www.ssa.gov/online/ss-5.pdf This link will give you some general background information on the SSA: http://www.ssa.gov/history/hfaq.html Ron Bestrom