Montana labor news., 1939-12-07
FEDERAL OLD-AGE AND
SURVIVORS, INSURANCE

SURVIVORS, INSURANCE
q. A young woman starts to work
in 1898 at the age of 20, and con-
tinues in the same business office
until she is 81. Having married, she
then stops working for the rest of
her life. Would she be entitled to
monthly Federal Old-Age Insurance
benefits in her own right at age IS?
A. Yes; she would have had more
than 40 quarters in covered employ
ment before she stopped work and
would therefore be entitled to a
monthly benefit.
Q. Would it make any difference
if she were married?
A. If her husband were fully in
sured and received monthly bene-
fits after age 65, she would be en-
titled to a supplementary benefit
equal to half of the amount he
would receive. In such a case the
wife would get either the supple
mentary benefit or her own bene-
fit, whichever was larger. If her
husband had not worked in covered
employment, she would receive the
benefit to which she was entitled
in her own right.
@. A man whose monthly benefit
would have been $44 a month dies,
leaving a widow and three young
children; what will be the total
monthly benefits for his survivors?
A.. They will receive the maxi
mum amount payable-$85 a month.
@. A man dies after earning $500
a month for 20 years, He leaves a
wife and 5 children. What amount
would his survivors receive?
A.. $50 a month. The wife would
be entitled to three-fourths of his
primary benefit of $50, and each
child one-half of such amount, but
since the law limits the total amount
of benefits payable to twice the pri-
mary amount, the maximum is $50.
Q. An individual earning an aver-
age of $50 a month dies after having
been covered under the insurance
system for rs years. He leaves a
widow and three children. How
much would his survivors receive?
A.. $40 a month because the law
limits benefits to 80 per cent of a
persons average wage.
@. A man, who reached 65 this
year and had not previously been
in covered employment, works reg
ularly at a part-time job for $40 a
month from July 1888 through De-
cember 1899. Would he be entitled
to monthly benefits if he retired in
January 1910 and how much would
he receive?
A.. He would receive $40 a month,
although according to the formula
his benefit would figure up to only
So go per cent of $40). In such
cases the benefit is increased to $40,
the lowest amount which will be
paid. If he has a wife age IS she
will receive SIS a month, making a
total of SIS for the two.
@. What would his widow get if
he should die after 1910?
A.. She would get $10-again be-
cause this is the minimum amount
which will be paid.
@. A man who is 81 years old in
1889 works for l year at 500 a week,
becomes ill, is out of employment
for A years, goes back to work for
2 years, and then dies. Is he cur
rently insured?
A.. Yes, because he has worked a
minimum of six quarters in the 8
years preceding his death.
9. If a man who is AZ years old
in 1887 works for 8 years, then be-
comes i'll, and after z years of ill
ness dies at the age of So, is he cur
rently insured?
A. No, since he does not have a
record of employment for the IL
quarters preceding his death.
@. May a woman who has been
divorced get survivorship benefits
based on her former husbands
wages?
A. If there has been an absolute
divorce, she would receive no bene-
fits because she is not his wife"
@. What would the benefits of an
8~5-year-old father be if his bachelor
son died at the age of IS when he
was receiving an old-age benefit of
$50 a month?
A. The father would be entitled
to a benefit of $25 a month, pro-
vided his son was his sole support.
"a seventh installment in this
series of questions and answers will
follow.)