The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1956-08-23

Security Administration in this area
to explain these changes in the law.
| hope to achieve this in part through
this series of articles.
In the articles to follow | shall
describe the changes singly and in
detail; today, | shall restrict myself
to a summary of the three most inn
portant changes designed to strength
en- this Federal insurance system
which provides partial protection
against loss of earned income upon
the retirement or death, and now
under certain conditions-upon the
total disability of the worker.
Benefits At Age 81
First, effective with September of
this year, benefits will become pay
able to women when they reach age
62. Survivors benefits for widows
and, in certain cases, mothers of de-
ceased workers will start with a pay
ment for November which will be
due early in December. The amount
of the monthly payment for these
groups will not be reduced-it will
be the same that they would have
started getting at age 65 under the
old law. Beginning with November
1856, retired insured women workers
and wives of retired insured workers
can start getting benefit payments
at age 62. In these cases, the amount
of the payment will be reduced to
somewhat less than the amount that
would have been payable at age 65
under the old law.
Total Disability
A change has been made in the
total disability provision in the law.
While the disability freeze" provi-
sion which protects the social security
insurance rights of workers is con-
tinued, monthly cash benefit pay
ments beginning with July 1857, will
be made to totally disabled workers
when they reach age so. Beginning
with January 1857 monthly benefits
are now payable to disabled un-
married child, even after the child
has reached age Is, if the child was
disabled since before he reached
Is and is the dependent child of
retired or deceased parent, step
parent, or adopting parent who is
eligible for old-age insurance benefits
under social security, or was insured
for the purpose of survivors bene-
fits at this time of his or her death.
Other important changes in the
law affect farmers, both employed and
self Unemployed. While there have been
no changes in old-age and survivors
insurance benefit rates, there are
changes in the way benefits can be
figured and the time necessary to
become insured for payments. The
latter provision is of special impor-
tance to persons whose kind of work
is now covered by social security as
of January 1, 1856. Newly-covered
groups are lawyers, dentists, CHR
opractors, veterinarians, naturopaths,
osteopaths, and optometrists. Other
recent legislation provides for the ex-.
tension of social security on per-
manent contributory basis after 1856
to members of the armed services on
active duty.
Some of the changes / have men
toned are retroactive to the beginn-
ing of 1856, others will become effec-
tive as of November of this year;
still other changes will not go into
effect until January 1, 1857; and one
does not become effective until July
l, 1857.
In my next article l shall discuss
the newly-covered professional groups
and explain the steps they must take
to have their earnings correctly re-
ported for social security credit under
the amended law.