The Lincoln times., 1955-01-10

The amended Social Security
Act contains special provisions for
the millions brought under Old
Age & Survivors Insurance for the
first time on January LIST, accord
ing to Mr.. Joseph P. Walsh. Dis
trict Manager of the Gastonia So
cial Security Office. In figuring
monthly benefits, earnings of new
Uncovered workers must be aver
aged from the beginning of 1851
just like earnings of persons al
ready in work covered by social
security. Consequently their four
years of non-covered employment
or self employment from 1851
through 1854 would cut down their
average monthly earnings for fig
uring their benefit amount were it
not for a special provision in the
amended law Mr. Walsh said this
provision, known as the drop
OUT, permits the elimination of
the four years Of non-covered en-
ployment. The drop-out'. in eff
feet, places the newly covered
groups in a position comparable to
that Of the groups that became
newly covered in 1851. with re-
spect to the figuring of the benefit
amount. In addition. those who
are newly covered may achieve
fully insured status as early as the
second quarter of 1856, if they
work continuously from January
1855.
Of special Importance TO per-
sons already on the insurance
benefit rolls is the provision af-
tecting the amount Of earnings
they are permitted to have from
work while getting monthly bene-
fit payment checks. Beginning
with 1865, such earnings from en-
ployment on self-employment cor
a combination of the tWo) may be
as much as S1,20000 in year.
This replaces q provision in the old
law whereby an employed person
had to forego one or more months
payments if his earnings were
more than SIS month. and SELF
employed person getting insurance
benefit payments was restricted to
5000 earnings in a year. Benetlcl-
aries 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. Mr.. Walsh also called at
tention to the lowering of the age
restriction on earnings by benefl-
ciaries from IS to 70. On reaching
ace 70. an insured person is now
permitted to have earnings OF any
amount and still get benefit
checks each month in the year,
This provision is effective also
from the beginning of 1855, and
anv person between 72 and rs who
has not claimed his benefits be-
cause he has continued to Work
should file his claim now, even II
he plans to keep on working.
Effective or 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 a person who mas
been totally disabled for perlod
/ of six months or more may apply
| to have his social security earn
/ ines record "frOZen" as OF the time
of the onset Of the disability. This
will result in higher benefits at
ace 65. BeneficiarieS now on the
rolls who were totally disabled be-
fore they became eligible for old
age benefit payments and VINO are
still disabled may apply under the
provision to have their benefit
amount refig'ued to disregard the
period of disability. However. nc
benefit can be increased under this
provision before July 1855, To be
ELIGIBLE for the disability freeze, y
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 lust before he became dis
abled. Applications for tn
"freeze." from people who have
become disabled after establishing
a social security account, are nov
being accepted at the local socia
security office The Gastonia Of
flee is located at 212 w. Seconc
Avenue.