The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1949-08-18
Disability Insurance Program Linked
With Social Security Improvements

Washington (LPA)-Encourag-
ing progress in bringing up to date
our social security provisions for
the aged, and for widows and chill
dren Of wage-earners, was report
ed this week from the House Ways
and Means Committee.
The social security changes, al
ready agreed to in committee, are
now being put into bill which is
expected to be ready for the full
House this week.
Provision for the same payments
to totally disabled workers as
would be paid to retired workers is
included in the measure. This is
the first time that disability in
surance has been approved by the
committee. Union leaders, in earl
ier hearings before the House
group, said that provisions for dis
abled workers should definitely be
part of the nations social security
structure.
Reversing actions voted four
times in as many years, the COM
mittee recommended that the old
age and survivors insurance tax
on both worker and employer be
increased from 1ao to 112%o in
1850 and to 2R in 1852 This will
enable the insurance program to
be on sound financial basis.
About II million more people
would be covered if the committee
proposal is approved by Congress.
This includes about Az million
self-employed, about 100000 en-
ployes of non-proft institutions
who elect to participate, 100000
domestic servants not in a farm
home, about million state and
local government employees (if the
state enters into a compact with
the Federal Security Agency, and
about 100000 federal employees not
under a retirement program.
In addition, agricultural process
ing workers off the farm, and some
other miscellaneous groups would
be covered, to the extent of about
500, 900 wage earners.
Benefits for retired workers who
are already receiving social secur-
ity benefits would rise sharply. The
committees announcement esti-
mated that the rise would average
80 %6 The present lowest payment
Of so a month would be raised to
$25 a month and maximum benefits
for a surviving family (widow and
minor children of a wage Garner
covered by the program) would
rise from $S5 to $3.50 month.
For retired workers who reach
the age of 65 from now on, bene-
fits would also increase if the Com
mittee bill is approved. For in
stance, worker who paid taxes on
wage of 500 a month for the
next lS years would receive a pen
sion of $3.50 a month (plus half
that amount for his wife). If he
were retiring today, he'd get 500
under the present law (plus half
that amount for his wife).
A worker who earned $3.50 a !
month for lS years would get
$47.20 now, and $70.S5 under the
new proposal; a worker who earn
ed $400 a month would get $4720 |
now (the top ceiling) and $76.30 |
under the new proposal. Each of
these workers would receive anoth-
er 500 of the benefit for his wife.
Veterans would be credited for
time spent in military service on
the assumption that they'd earned
and been paying tax on $160 a
month.
Another part of the present law
which has caused resentment-the
that if retired worker
)r widow earns more that $l4.59 a
month, all benefits are cut Offs
iberaized. Earnings can be as
nigh as $50 a month without cut
ing off benefits. And after the
,ge of 75, the retired" worker re-
,eives benefits regardless of what
earnings he has.
The retirement age of 60 is un-
hanged, though unions had urged
1 cut to 60, at least for women
workers. Taxes will be collected on
wages up to $4,000 instead of $4,000
Is at present, which will fill in |