Milford chronicle., 1955-01-14
NglD Important
PrOUtsiOns TO SIS Lam
NOl0 EfectiUe
Continued from PAGE one)


on the same terms as other self
employed people, except for special
provisions under certain conditions
for figuring the amount Of their
net annual earnings.
A change in the old requirement
that farm workers be regularly
employed by one employer means
that over two million additional
farm employees will start earning
s0cia1 security protection for them
selves and their families in 1855.
The new provision requires only
that the farm hand be paid at
least 500, in cash wages in a cal
endar year by one employer.
About 100000 more domestic
employees in private households
are covered by the amended law
because Of the removal of the
earlier requirement that the do
nestle employee work "a days in
each calendar quarter in any one
household. Now the requirement,
beginning January 1, is the pay
ment Of $50 or more cash wages
by one household employer in a
calendar quarter.
About S.50O,O0O employees Of
State and local governments, ex-
cluded up to now because they
are under a retirement system,
may now be brought under social
security if they elect coysrage by
a referendum. And members of the
clergy, whether employed or self
employed, may come under the law
as if they were self-employed per-
sons.
Other self-employed groups COW
cred for the first time by social
security as Of January 1, 1866, are
professional engineers, account
ants, architects, and funeral direc-
tors.
OF special significance to per-
sons in work which came under
social security for the first time on
January is a provision in the
amended law which will enable
those who are newly covered to
achieve a fully insured status
quickly. BY working continuously,
they may become insured as early
as the second quarter Of 1856.
Since earnings of neWly-cOVered
workers must be averaged from
| the beginning of 1851, lust like
/ earnings Of persons already in
work covered by social security,
their four years of nOn-cOvered en-
! plOyment or self-emplOyment would
cut down their average monthly
earnings for figuring their benefit
amount we're it not for a special
1 provision in the amended law.
This provision, known as the
''drop-Out", permits the elimina-
ton Of the four years of nom
covered employment. The drop
out" in effect, places the newly
covered groups in a position COM
parable to that of the groups that
became newly covered in 1851,
with respect to the figuring of the
/ benefit amount.
OF special Importance to persons
already on the insurance benefit
rolls in the provision affecting the
amount of earnings they are per-
mitted to have from work while
i getting monthly benefit payment
checks. Beginning with 1855, such
earnings from employment or
self-employment (Or combina-
ton of the tWo) may be as much
as $1,000 in year, This replaces
a provision in the old law whereby
an employed person had to fOrego
one or more months payment if
his earnings were more than SIS
a month, and a self-emplOyed per-
son getting insurance benefit pay
ments was restricted to 5000 earn
/ ings in year. Beneficiaries who
could not accept social security
checks for certain months under
the old law, but who can meet the
conditions Of the new provision,
are advised to get in touch with
their social security Office. The
Social Security Administration also
calls attention to the lowering OF
the age restriction on earnings BY
benefeiaries from 75 to ". On
reaching age 70, an insured per-
son Is now permitted to have earn
ings Of any amount and still get
benefit checks each month in the
year. This provision goes into ef-
feet also at the beginning Of 1855.
and any person between 70 and rs
4 who has not claimed his benefits
because he has continued work
should file his claim now, even if
ne plans to keep on working.
Effective on January /, further
more, was a provision to protect
the social security insurance rights
OF the totally disabled. This is not
cash disability insurance, but a
means whereby person who has
been totally disabled for a period
Of six months or more may applv
TO have his social security earn
/ ings record frozen" as Of the time
OF the onset Of the disability. Bene-
/ nciaries now on the rolls who
/ were totally disabled before they
became eligible for old-age benefit
/ payments and who are still dis
abled may apply under the provi-
sion to have their benefit amount
rehgured to disregard the period
OF disability. However, no benefit
can be increased under this pro-
vision before July 1856 To be eli
! gible for the disability freeze, a
/ person must have been in work
covered by social security for five
/ out Of the last ten years before
the disability began. Also. he must
have been in covered work at least
one-half the time during the three
years Just before he became dis
aDled. Applications for the freeze
/ from people who have become dis
abied after establishing a social
i security account, will now be &C
/ cepted By the local social security
onifns