Evening star., 1945-10-08

equal to six times the benefit Henry
would have obtained, computed as
if he were retiring when he died.
His monthly check, calculated on
his work after 1886 at average earn
ings of 5000 a month, would have
been S38.15. The lump sum thus was
$228.9O
In addition, two months later,
when Henry's child was born, the
new mother started to get benefits
each month totaling $47.69-$28.61
in her own name and $19.08 in the
child's name. These payments, ex-
ceeding what Henry himself would
have had, will continue until the
child is 18. Mrs. A. will receive ben
efits again, beginning at age IS, if
she has not remarked.
If there had been two children in
this family, let, us say, boy of
three and a girl of two, when Henry
died, family benefits would have
started Immediately but no lump
sum would have been paid. AS be-
fore, benefits would continue until
VIC Slll dbOdlllCu age 10.
Social Security Today.
Payment of monthly benefits be-
gan almost six years ago, in jan
uary, 1910, when amendments to the
Social Security Act, passed the year
before, brought family benefits into
Ia program which had been designed
mainly to insure workers as indi-
viduals. The benefits, although paid
as insurance and not as relief or as
sistance, were geared to the mod
crate contributions deducted as
taxes by each employer from wages
due his workers.
The benefits were not meant to
replace regular income altogether
but were scaled to give the ordi-
nary wage earner's family base or
cushion underlying savings or in
surance which could be used when
earnings gave out. Unfortunately,
laws do not have the fiexibility of
daily events or even long-term
trends. Benefit amounts have not
kept pace with the rising cost of
living. When the press of war-in-
spired legislation is over, Congress
may be counted upon to devote it.
self to revising the system, hiking
present benefits, adding others.
Today, on the basis of wages
earned from jobs in commerce or in
dustry, the worker of this country
can be certain of some financial Sc
curity in his old age. Not only that
his wife, when she reaches IS, and
also his children can look forward
to monthly payments. If the worker
should die, his widow at age 65, OF
at any age if she has young children
his orphaned children, or possibly
his parents may get Government
checks each month.
The modern social security pro-
gram regards the worker-man OF
woman-aS a member of a family
with the customary responsibilities
When no money comes into the
home because the breadwinner has
become too old to work or dies, the
Government steps in. 1t tries to aio
those who normally depend on that
| income, and extends benefits to the
members of the wage earner's house
hold who may be presumed to suffer
at such a time Other programs
within the same framework provide
assurance when the worker loses his
job through no fault of his own Oh
when the family purse is not large
enough to maintain minimum living
standards.
At the end of 1914 more thar
100000 families, including 1,116,00(
people, were on the rolls to get
monthly benefits through the old
age and survivor system. This fig
ure was one-fourth greater than that
for 1943 and the rate of growth is
increasing! The average family
benefit was almost $50. Families of
workers who died, consisting of a
mother and child, received S34.20 on
the average and families including
q mother and two children SAT 40