<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII" http-equiv=Content-Type> <META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.18999"></HEAD> <BODY style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 10pt" id=role_body bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 rightMargin=7 topMargin=7><FONT id=role_document color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>As someone who was widowed with young children I can give you some information about the process.  All relationships have to be proved with original documents (not copies.) mailed or handed to Social Security  In my case I had to show them  birth certificates for everyone involved, my marriage certificate and my husbands death certificate.  The relationship of the beneficiary  to the decedent has to be proven.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>As far as the records being available to others, remember  these are records and files about the children of the deceased ,including their birth certificates,  and are separate from the records of the parents, so I doubt they would be available.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Judi Scott</DIV> <DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial> <DIV><BR> </DIV> <DIV><BR><BR><BR><BR>I appreciate all your answers and advice.??? Does anyone have actual experience <BR>with the form required for receiving death benefits for the children?<BR>?<BR>I imagine that the death benefit form would have been submitted by the <BR>children's paternal aunt or paternal grandmother, with whom they went to live.? <BR>Either of these would have had personal knowledge of the marriage date, if asked <BR>to supply it on the form.<BR>?<BR>Thank you for all your help.<BR>?<BR>Warmest Regards,<BR>?<BR>Donna<BR><BR><BR>      <BR></DIV></FONT></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>