The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1946-09-13

Immediate beneflclarieS of the +
cent veterans amendment to til
Social Security act are the survivor
of World war II veterans who died q
result of causes not connected wit
their military service and before Auj
ust 10, 1916, the date on which tn
amendment became law, Stewart
Thomas, manager of the Helena O
flee of the Social Security administr;
ton, said today
Mr.. Thomas explained that the ne,
section of the act provides for tn
payment of monthly benefits to quail
fled survivors of veterans who di
within three years of their discharg
under conditions other than dishon
orable and whose dependents are no
qualified to receive compensation O
pensions from the Veterans adminic
! tration. National Service Life Insur
ance is not included in compensation
or pensions.
In the case of such veterans wht
! died before the enactment of the new
amendment the measure provides fol
monthly benefits retroactive to the
date of the veterans death if the sur
vivors file their benefit claims with
the nearest office of the Social Secur
| ity administration before midnight
February 10, 1947 Of course, monthly
benefits other than retroactive are
payable on claims filed at any time
by qualified persons.
In cases where survivors of veterans
who qualify under the new amendment
already have filed claim for monthly
benefits earned by the veteran under
the old-age and survivors insurance
program of the Social Security Ad-
ministratfon, it is possible that the
provisions of the new measure will
provide greater benefits than these
earned by the veteran. Those survi-
vors are included in the immediate
potential beneficiaries, and should ap-
ply to the field office of the Social Sc
curity Administration
Tho same applies to survivors who
have filed claim for Iump-sum bene-
fits under the old-age and survivors
insurance program on a qualified vet
Grams account. The new amendment
may make them eligible for monthly
benefit payments, or it may increase
the amount of the lump-sum benefit.
In the latter case, they will receive the
difference between the lump sum they
received and the larger amount they
are eligible for under the new amend
ment, if they apply at the office of the
Social Security Administration.
"As in the case of all other persons
qualified for social security benefits,
families of deceased veterans to whom
this new section of the law has i'm
mediate application should come to
our office to file their benefit claims
as soon as possible" Mr.. Thomas said.
There is, of course, no action to be
taken under the new amendment by
veterans or dependents of living vet
Grams, since the amendment affects
only survivors of veterans who have
met the qualifications of the new mea-
sure, including ineligibility for Vet
Grams Administration payments, and
who have died"
1t is estimated by the Veterans Adj
that up to June 80, 1916,
approximately 10000 veterans of
World war II had died after discharge
from service. This figure, however, is
he one for all deaths after discharge,
md it includes the deaths of veterans
whose survivors were eligible for Vet
Grams Administration pensions. Survi-
yors of only small percentage of the
10000 veterans would be eligible for
benefits under the amendment to the
Social Security act
Future beneficiaries of the measure,
will be the survivors of qualified vet
Grams who die within 3 years after
heir discharge and who are discharg-
ID within years and a day after the
md of the war as determined by a |
proclamation or resolu-
ion of congress.
In all, it is expected that the sur
,ivors of from 100000 to 100000 vet |
,rans will receive benefits under the |
The purpose of the measure is to |
ridge the gap in survivorship protec- |
ion that is encountered by the ex-
erviceman in the 3-year period fol |
owing his discharge from service.
Many persons the social security |
ffice manager said, lost the rights
hey had accumulated under the old
ge and survivors insurance program
through the passage of time after they
ad entered the armed forces. The
otential benefit amounts of others
yere reduced. Other persons, who
ntered national service without hav-
ng had the opportunity to build social
Insurance status by means of prior
william employment, were deprived
t their chance of doing so by their
Military service.
The survivorship protection extend
d to qualified veterans by the amend