Montana labor news., 1938-09-29

Board, before the Silver Bow
Trades and Labor Council, Sep
TENDER 20, 1888.
There r two programs now in
operation to are for old people,
namely, old-age assistance and old
age insurance. The old-age assist
ance program is administered by the
states and counties through the pub
lie welfare offices. Payments are
made on the basis of need of the
person concerned.
The old-age insurance program is
administered entirely by the federal
government and is designed to set
up a system whereby workers reach
ing the age of 65 will have retire
ment incomes paid to them in
monthly installments, not as relief
but as a matter of earned right.
Certain requirements must be met
in order for an Individual to be
eligible for monthly payments. He
must have worked in a covered
occupation, generally speaking, COM
merce and industry, in parts of at
least five different years after De-
cember 81, 1886, and before reaching
the age of IS, and must have earned
at least $4,000 in wages in a covered
occupation during that time. To re-
ceive the monthly payments the per-
son must be no longer regularly en-
ployed. The amount of the monthly
payment will range between $40 and
$85 per month. Monthly payments
will not commence before January
l, 1912.
There are two types of lump-sum
payments, amounting to 31s per cent
of total wages, which are now being
made. Should a wage-earner fail
to qualify for a monthly benefit
either because there is not time for
him to work during five different
years before he is IS or because his
total wages do not amount to at
least $4,000 before that time, he is
eligible for a lump-sum payment.
In case a w|age-earner dies before
reaching IS his estate, or nearest
survivor in most cases, is eligible for
a lump-sum payment,
Over 800 lump-sum payments have
been made in Montana since the pro-
gram started. The average payment
in August, 1888, was approximately
sos. Anyone eligible for a payment
is urged to contact the nearest office
of the Social Security Board and all
necessary forms and assistance in
filing a claim will be furnished.
In order to keep records of each
wage-earner's earnings throughout
his lifetime, an account is set up for
each person who is assigned an ac-
count number. Each person should
have only one number throughout
his lifetime, regardless Of the num-
Der of employers for whom he might
work. If an account number card is
lost or destroyed, a duplicate may
be obtained by filing an application
with the nearest office of the Social
Security Board. Each individual
account becomes the basis for COM
putting old-age insurance payments.
Should an individual so desire, he
may obtain a statement of his ac-
count by contracting the nearest So
cial Security Board office, which will
furnish him with a postcard to be
filled out and mailed to the Social
Security Board, Gambler Building,
Baltimore, Maryland. The statement
of the account will then be forward
ed to him.
Tital VIII of the Social Security
Act provides for a tax on payrolls
in covered occupations which is
shared equally by employers and
employees. During 1887, 1888, and
1888 each tax is l per cent Of pay
rolls. The employer deducts the
employees tax from the payroll and
is responsible for turning the tax
over to the federal government.
For the purpose of administering
the old-age insurance program in
Montana the state is divided into
four areas with offices located at
Billings, Butte, Havre and Helena.
Further information may be obtained
at any office.