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You can purchase a copy of death records from the SS administration.
If you take a guess that the person in question might be a relative, because all you can see is their name, and you take the plunge and order the copy of the records, do you get enough information to verify that the person was indeed your relative?
Do you get any information that you can go on with? Like maybe the SS number? Or relatives' names?
In short, is it worth the money to order the record?
Where do you see a process for a death record from SSA ??
There is a process using SSA Form 711 at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/online/ssa-711.pdf to get a copy (or an "extract") of the deceased person's original application for a SS number (Form SS-5) .
FYI, I have not done this so I'm not sure what you get, but the Form 711 mentions that a "computer extract" ( vs a "photocopy") will not contain parent's names.
There are SS death records, the Social Security Death Index is available on Ancestry.com, possible elsewhere. You can read about the information provided in it here: Social Security Death Index | SSDI Search at Ancestry.com (scroll down below the search fields).
Thanks, but the OP stated "You can purchase a copy of death records from the SS administration. "
I asked "what is the process" to do that.
I see where you could purchase the complete SSDI (actually called the Death Master File), but it is like $1725 for a single copy. $7245 if you want quarterly subscription. See SSA Raw Data Files Products
but AFAIK that would only get you the same limited info as the SSDIs available from Ancestry, FamilySearch, etc.
If what OP wants is parent's info etc, then that means getting a copy of the original SS-5 application as noted upthread.
You can generally get better information about parents or other relatives purchasing a death certificate issued in the state where the ancestor had lived. If you use the SSDI online for free in online searches, you can generally see the birth date, death date, names person used, the SSN used and where they were born and where they had died. I would opt for a birth certificate purchase from the state to get more details about potential relatives. Also note, the SSDI database itself is spotty for any deaths that occurred before the 1950s or so.
While SS death index and files associated with the person in question can be valuable there generally are better sources to obtain such information pertaining to birth and death, namely the state/county/ city birth and death occurred in.
SS death index is not always the most accurate or complete and persons who had SS numbers who died before 1962 might not be in the death database at all; other times its only partially complete (only year of death, etc), especially those who died before the 1970s. But I have used it to confirm if same names are in fact the same person or not and things like that.
I have sent for SS-5 copies throughout the years and have always been pleasantly surprised at the information that I've found on them: a middle name, exact birthdate, exact birth place and the best one...mother's maiden name.
And for those where personal records are scarce, having a photocopy of an ancestor's signature is humbling.
PA2UK has provided a link to the process for obtaining the record. I have used that format myself and it works perfectly.
FWIW, going through the process is worth it to obtain such a gold mine of information...unless of course, you already have the information.
For clarification for others, the SS-5 is not a death record. It is the person's original application for issuance of a SS number. In the past, usually done when a person got their first job, now done at birth. As RVcook says, it does contain a wealth of information.
The OP's concern was, because he only had limited info ( no SSN, etc), he had trouble determining which "Jim Smith" or "Joe Jones" in the Death Master File (aka SSDI) was his relative to spend $27+ on to get an SS-5, if he had to just guess which was correct person.
So to answer OP's original question, which was "In short, is it worth the money to order the record?" , the short answer is yes, if it is the correct person. (But it is still not a death record)
For clarification for others, the SS-5 is not a death record. It is the person's original application for issuance of a SS number. In the past, usually done when a person got their first job, now done at birth. As RVcook says, it does contain a wealth of information.
The OP's concern was, because he only had limited info ( no SSN, etc), he had trouble determining which "Jim Smith" or "Joe Jones" in the Death Master File (aka SSDI) was his relative to spend $27+ on to get an SS-5, if he had to just guess which was correct person.
So to answer OP's original question, which was "In short, is it worth the money to order the record?" , the short answer is yes, if it is the correct person. (But it is still not a death record)
The SS Death Index is called such because there is a death date (and location, I think?) listed on the full document too. In genealogy, ANY record with a death date is a death record. It is not a death certificate but it IS a death record. You can read about the differences here: https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/..._Death_Records - note that they even mention the SS Death Index as an example of death records that researches should utilize. Below that is information about death certificates - which I think is what you are referring to but there is a distinct difference in terminology.
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