Discovering a Social Security Application in My Files
Have you ever requested an “Application for Social Security Account Number” (Form SS-5) from the Social Security Administration? Back in 2001, I submitted such a request for one of my mother’s cousins. That application is likely one of the few physical copies in my personal files.
When I compared the information from the original application to the details available through the Social Security Applications and Claims Index (found online), I noticed only a few pieces of information present on the form but missing from the database:
- Age at last birthday
- Worker’s home address
- Employer’s name and address
- Date signed
- Applicant’s signature
To preserve this document, I asked ChatGPT to transcribe the handwritten application. It completed the task with only a couple of minor corrections needed. Below is the corrected transcription:
Form SS-5
Treasury Department
Internal Revenue Service (Revised June 1940)
Application for Social Security Account Number
(Required under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act)
(Read instructions on back before filling in form)
- Worker’s First Name: GERALD
- Middle Name: ROY
- Last Name: GREEN
- Full Name Under Which You Work (if different): (blank)
- Worker’s Present Home Address: 417 Market St., Emporia, Kansas
- Have you ever had a Social Security Account Number? No
- Age at Last Birthday: 17
- Date of Birth: January 1, 1923
- Place of Birth: Neosho Falls, Coffey County, Kansas
- Sex: Male
- Color or Race: White
- Marital Status: Single
- Business Name of Present Employer: Crown Drug Co.
- Business Address: 625 Commercial, Emporia, Kansas
- Father’s Full Name: Roy Vinton Green
- Mother’s Full Name Before First Marriage: Gladys Olive Mentzer
- Date Last Full-Time Job Ended – Last Occupation – Last Industry: None
- How Were You Paid: (blank)
- Date Signed: June 24, 1941
- Applicant’s Written Signature: Gerald Roy Green
- Social Security Number (assigned): 572-16-9075
According to the Social Security Administration website, it’s still possible to submit a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for a deceased person’s SS-5 application. As of 2025, the fee for such a request is $27.
Given that most of the key information is now available through the online database—and considering the cost—it’s unlikely that I will be submitting any additional FOIA requests in the future. However, finding this early SS-5 form in my files reminds me how valuable even a small piece of original documentation can be to genealogical research.