Smyrna times., 1954-09-09

so. Dependents snd survivors now
getting monthly benefits win get
proportionate increases, with
every family unit assured an in
crease of at least S5. The maxi
mum family payment has been
raised from S168.75 to 5000.
Persons now receiving MONTH
ly payments do not have to take
any action to get these increases,
Mr.. Milbouer declared. They will
be made automatically, and do
not have to be applied for, he
said.
The amended law also provides
increases for persons who become
eligible for benefit payments in
the future. beginning with 1855,
the amount of covered earnings
which may count toward social
security will be raised from $3,-
600 to 1920 in a year. This
provision will make it possible to
maintain a closer relationship be-
tween the workers earnings and
the benefits he and his family
will eventually receive.
Another provision in the new
law permits a worker to lrop
out up to five years of lowest
(or MOI earnings in the figuring
of his average monthly wage on
which benefit payments will be
based. This so-called "drop-out"
applies to all workers becoming
eligible for benefit payments after
August of this year. Some per-
sons now on the benefit rolls may
qualify for the drop-out if they
acquire at any time liz years of
covered work after June 1853, or
II they become eligible after Aug
ust 1854 to have their benefits re-
figured on account Of additional
earnings.
The amended law, moreover,
provides new formula for figur-
ing the workers insurance pay
ment. 1t increases the percent of
his average monthly wage which
will be payable in benefits. (Typi-
cal retirement and survivors pay
ments for persons qualifying after
August 1854 are shown on the
accompanying table,.
The new law increases the
amount of covered earnings a
beneficiary is entitled to have and
still receive his monthly benefit
check. The provision in the old
law which restricted such earn
ings to SIS a month in covered
employment and to 5000 a year
from self-employment has been
changed. Discrimination against
the wage Garner as compared to
the self-employed has been re-
moved and all retired persons will
have the earnings exemption on
an annual basis. All beneficiaries
under 72 years of age may now
have earnings up to 1,200 in a
year without loss of any benefits,
This applies to all earnings OF
any kind, whether covered by
social security or not. Only one
months benefit will be deducted
for each additional $50 earned
Benefits are payable regardless OF
annual earnings for any month
in which the beneficiary neither
has wages of over $50 nor en-.
gagged in substantial self-empIoy-
ment. After reaching age 72, the
beneficiary may earn any amount
and still receive benefits.
The amended act also provides
for the preservation of the bene-
fit rights of the totally disabled.
Under this provision a workers
earnings record can be frozen"
and he will not suffer a reduction
in or loss of his benefit rights be-
cause of an extended period of
no earnings due to total and pro-
longed disability. To be eligible
for a disability freeze" a worker
must have acquired at least five
years of covered work out of the
last ten years before the disability
began, of which at least 11s years
must have been in the 3-year
period before his disability occur
red. The disability must be medi-
cally determined by the State
vocational rehabilitation agency
or another appropriate State
agency, by agreement with the
Secretary of the United States
Department of Health, Education,
and Welfare. Mo application for
the disability freeze may be ac-
cepted by the Social Security
Administration before January 1,
1855. Mr.. Milbouer emphasized