The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1954-12-30
KNOW YOUR
SOCIAL SECURITY

menus 10 the social security law
that will affect agricultural EN-,
ployees. Farm operators viii
want to know about the changes
in this part of the law if they
have hired help on their farms
or if they work for some other
farm employer for part of the
year.
Under the 1850 Amendment to
the Social Security Act, some
farm workers were brought into
the old-age and survivors insur-
ance program for the first time
But there was work regularity
test which kept many farm
workers from building social
security protection for them
selves and their families.
Take the case of the young
farm worker who came to see
me recently, for an example
After he had introduced him
self, he gave me brief account
of his life. He'd been born and
raised on a small farm. When
he became 18, he had enlisted in
the army. He was serving over
seas when he received news of
his fathers death. His mothers
next letter told him that she
was selling the family farm.
Since she needed the cash very
badly, she would have to settle
hurriedly for a price far below
the farm property's actual value.
A widows benefits under social
security might have enabled her
to keep the farm or at least
avoid selling it on a poor market.
But self-employed farm opera
tors were not covered by the
social security law until the
amendments this year. When my
young friend returned from the
service, he couldn't work on the
family farm as he had planned,
of course. So he began looking
for farm work with other farm
employers. He soon built a repu-
tation around the countryside as
a good worker, and the farmers
were glad to hire him when they
had work. He worked steadily
throughout the year, but largely
because of the nature of farming
in that area, he worked for many
different employers in the course
of a year.
This meant that he wasn't
considered as regularly employ
ed" under the social security
provisions Of 1850. The test for
being regularly employed' re-
quired him to work for the same
farm employer for at least five
months in the year. Since he did
not meet this test, his wages as
a farm hand weren't counted to-
ward social security.
Now the young farm worker
had come to ask me about the
new law for a very special rea-
son. He was thinking of getting
married. He hoped that the new
law void make it possible for
him to begin earning social
security credits in his work. He
realized that his earnings from
work under the social security
program would count toward
benefits when he retired. But as
a young man, he was more in
terested in the protection which
his work could earn for his wife
in case of his death. He didn't
want her to have the financial
difficulties that his mother had
when his father died.
/ quickly told the young farm
worker about the provision in
the new law which will enable
him, and over two million other
farm Employed who couldn't
meet the regularly employed"
test before, to have the protec-
ton of social security.
Under the new law, the work
regularity test for farm en-
has ben eliminated.
Beginning January l, 1855, the
farm helper is included under
social security if he earns 500
in cash wages from any one farm
operator in a calendar year.
If the farm employees is paid
from 500 up to $199.99 in cash
wages in a calendar year by one
farm employer, he will earn one
quarter of social security credit.
He will be credited with two
quarters if he earns $500 or
$29999 in a year, and ne will
receive three quarters if he
makes between $500 and $399.99
in cash from the same farmer.
For any cash earnings of $400
or more in a year from a farm
employer, the farm worker will
be credited with four quarters
of coverage or credit for the en-
tire year. His earnings up to
$4,000 will be reported for social
security purposes. Total cash
wages Of less than $100 paid by
any one farm operator will not
be credited to his social security
account.
The farm operator will report
the wages that he has paid to
the employee and he win send
social security tax contributions