Evening star., 1950-09-05

which frequently runs between
500 and 5000. A widow without
dependent children won't get
monthly payments until she
reaches IS, but will get the lump
sum. Or, if there's no widow. the
person paying the funeral ex-
pense gets this payment.
Death Insurance Included.
Because people often aren't
aware social security includes
death insurance, too. they some
times miss out on all or part Of
these payments. There's a two
year limit on applying for the
lump sum settlement, and while
there's no time limit on when sur
vivors can request the monthly
payments due them, they can col
lect only six months retroactively.
For example, a widow who ap-
plies a year late loses six months
payments.
People IS or over also fail fire.
quently to collect all their bene-
fits for several recurring reasons.
Often they're not aware they
can collect both unemployment
insurance and social security. even
If they're seeking a new Job. In
fact, you can have any amount
of outside incomes from inter-
est on savings and bonds, divi-
dends. private pension plans. even
rental Of property you own (un-
less you're regularly engaged in
the real-estate business)-and
still get your pension. You can
also earn any amount In fields
still not covered by social security.
such as occasional baby sitting or
other household work, and tempo
rary farm labor.
Rule Is Liberalized.
But you may not earn more
than $50 a month in regular
covered employment. or more
than 5000 a year in self employ
ment, and still collect a retire.
ment pension. unless you're IS or
older. in which case there are no
limitations. That's q liberaliza-
ton of the former rule that a
pensioner could earn no more
than $1499 in covered employ
ment.
Wage-earners IS or older but
not yet retired sometimes also
fail to apply for retirement bene-
fits when they become i'll. They
expect to return to work. but
frequently illness fingers on among
older people. In a typical recent
case, a man of 66 who suffered a
leg fracture didn't bother apply
ing for his pension. But the
fracture failed to heal properly,
and after IA months the man
realized he wouldn't be able to
return to his job. When he did
request his pension finally, he
collected only six months back
payments, thus losing several
hundred dollars.
Anyone eligible for a pension
should apply Immediately If re-
moved from employment by any,
thing more than casual illness.
You can get the pension even for
month or two pending your pos
sible return to work. Even If
you're getting sick pay from your
employer, check with your local
social security office.
Must Initiate Action.
Some types of sick pay, sucn
as those provided by health and
accident insurance carried by
many employers, may still leave
you eligible for retirement pay
ments.
Another recurring reason why
people sometimes lose benefits
and perhaps the most important
single fact to understand about
social security regulations-is that
in every case you must initiate
the application for benefits.
You never automatically start
collecting benefits due you, as
many people seem to believe.
When you reach IS and want to
retire, you must apply for your
pension. The wife of a husband
on pension is also entitled to
one when she's IS, but she must
apply. If wage-earner dies, his
dependents must apply for pay
ments to which they're entitled.
There are two vital times to