Montana labor news., 1939-10-26
Your Social Security
FEDERAL 0LD-AGE AND
SURVIVORS, INSURANCE


With new thousands of Montana
citizens being insured and affected
by recently enacted amendments to
the Federal Social Security Act,
Manager Stewart J. Thomas of the
Social Security Boards Butte field
office revealed that his office is be-
ing beseiged by mail, telephone, and
office inquiries
"In general the amendments ex-
tend and liberalize the scope of the
act, particularly with regard to the
Federal Old-Age Insurance pro-
gram" Manager Thomas said. "They
increase nationwide buying power
by providing for substantial tax saw
ings under the unemployment COM
pensation as well as the old-age in
.surance provisions.
"Then, too, under the old-age in
.surance provisions, monthly bene-
fits will be paid earlier, more liberal
benefits will be paid to those now
nearing retirement age, supple
mentary benefits for wives and sur
vivors' benefits are added, coverage
is extended, and taxes reduced. I'm
der the public-assistance and health
and welfare provisions of the act,
more liberal federal grants to the
states are made available to en-
courage expansion of these pro-
grams"
This newspaper, in cooperation
with the Social Security Boards
Butte office, which serves this part
of Montana, is listing below the first
in a series of the major questions
received by Manager Thomas:
@. In general, what are the eff
fects of the amendments to the Fed
eral Old-Age Insurance provisions of
the Social Security Act?
A. They expand the system for
the payment of retirement benefits
to individual workers into an insur-
ance system for the protection of
both the worker and his family.
They provide for the earlier pay
ment of benefits; for the payment
of more liberal benefits to those now
nearing the retirement ages; for
extension of supplementary bene-
fits to wives and dependent chill
dren; and for monthly benefits to
survivors. They also hold the tax
rate where it is until 1943
O. When does the payment of
monthly benefits under the federal
old-age insurance plan begin?
A. Benefits are payable beginning
January l, 1910. The original act
provided for the beginning of these
payments in 1912.
Q. To whom will monthly bene-
fits be paid?
A. The amendments have broad
ened the plan to take into consid-
Grafton the security of the family
unit. In addition to the benefits paid
the retired worker, the law now
provides monthly supplementary
benefits for his wife, if she is 65,
and for his dependent children un-
der 49, 1t also provides monthly
survivors benefits for aged widows,
dependent children, widows with
such children in their care, and for
dependent parents of workers who
die.
@. Are there any estimates of the
number of persons who will receive
benefits under the new old-age and
survivors insurance provisions dur
ing 1910?
A. There is an estimate-but this
is only an estimate-that approx
mately $4,000 persons may be on
the benefit rolls by the end Of l94O
This assumes that there will be ap-
.proximately 485,000 primary old
age beneficiaries-th is, persons IS
or older-who are fully insured in
their own right; 125,000 wives and
10000 widows over 65 years old;
$4,000 young widows with dependent
children; $4,000 dependent chill
dren; and 10000 dependent parents.
@. How many workers are now
covered by the old-age and sur
vivors' insurance provisions of the
act?
/ A. The Social Security Board has
established accounts for more than
As million individuals in the United