The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1940-05-02
Information On
Social Security

Under the original Social Security
Act workers who died before reaching
age IS left to their estates a single
money payment equal to 31a percent
of the covered wages the individual
had received while employed on jobs
covered by the old-age insurance sys-
tenn. This plan has been replaced by
another which results in payments to
several groups of survivors of insured
workers.
In order to have his dependent quail
ify for monthly payments the worker
must su re the same sort Of an cn1-
plosH Gov as 1t (descrihcd N
the second article OF this series. !
Wher> ,'e worker died before reach
ing age 65 monthly payments may be
claimed r. these groups of survivors:
an aged life who is 65 or over, a
widow who has one or more dependent
children, under Is if in school or under
16 if they have left school; a parent
over 65 who was solely dependent on
this worker at the time of his death,
but parent can not claim benefits if
the widow or dependent child is
living; also the dependent child, step
child or adopted child of the worker,
under Is if in school or under 16 if
the child has left school.
In figuring the payments to the sur
vivors the workers basic wage is cal
culated. This is done in the same man.
ner as in the payment of benefits to
workers who reach age 65, and de-
scribed in the previous article of this
series.
Payments to the widow continue un-
til the youngest child reaches age 1S
if in school or 16 if having left school.
AS the children reach age Is their in
dividual benefits cease. When the
youngest child reaches age Is the
widows benefits also cease but she will
again receive her widows monthly
payment when she becomes 65, if she
has not remarked in the meantime
and has not taken job which is COW
cred by the Social Security Act. She
could take such a job, retire at 65
and receive monthly payments, either
based on her own earnings or on her
husbands basic payment calculated at
the time of his death. The widow
could take whichever payment was
greater
There are three limits on the amount
which may be paid on the basis of
workers account. The'monthly checks
combined may not exceed double the
amount of the basic benefit, so percent
of the workers average monthly wage,
or SS5, whichever sum is the smallest
of these three.
No basic payment is less than $40
If smaller amount has been earned
the payment is raised to $40. No de-
pendent's payment is less than SIS, un-
der similar circumstances.
If there is no dependent who is
qualified for monthly payments then
the person responsible for the expense
of burial of the worker may be reim-
bursed by single money payment.
This is six times the monthly pay
ment to which the worker was entitled
at the time of his death. Thus where
a workers benefit was $50 the check
would amount to $3.50.
In order to claim these payments
widows and other dependents must
have proof that the marriage took
place, and must show the age of the
children to whom payments are being
made. Parents must show they were
solely dependent on the wage Garner
at the time of his death and proof of
the parents age also must be pro-
duced.
The field offices of the Social Secur-
ity Board should be consulted as soon
after the death of an insured worker
as is practical, so that suitable proof
may be obtained and payments may
begin with minimum of delay.