Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-08-08
SECURITY FOR YOU
New Law
On Benefits
Has Birthday
BY RAY HENRY

President Eisenhower signed
the bill which made 1t possible
for:
/. Women to qualify for
monthly Social Security pay
ments at age 81. The mini
mum age had been IS.
2. Severely disabled persons
to qualify for monthly pay
mentS at age so. This was an
entirely new program.
Since then. nearly q million
people in the two groups have
been added to the Social Sc
curity rolls. Women. under the
reduced age set-up could quail
ify for payments on November
l. 1856. The disability pay
ment program went into opera
ton July /.
Because anniversaries are
often occasions for special note,
this is q good time to review
some Of the details Of the two
programs.
RETIREMENT AGE FOR
WOMEN-With the lowering of
the retirement age for women,
the Social Security law set UP
three classes Of women for the
purposes Of drawing payments:
Cd widows and dependent
mothers. (2) working women
and 80 wives.
And. under the law, they are
treated differently when they
apply for payments.
Widows and dependent
mothers Of deceased workers
who were covered by Social
Security are able to collect
payments at 62-just as II they
had waited until they reached
SIS.
WORKING WOMEN-That
is. women who have worked
and paid Social Security tax
on their earnings-may qualify
for payments at 50. But their
payments. If they decide to
draw them between So and IS,
will be lower than If they'd
waited until IS to collect. In
all cases. they can collect at
least 80 per cent Of what they
would be eligible for had they
waited until IS to collect.
Wives Of retired workers are
eligible to receive payments at
So. But. II a wife starts drawing
payments at 81. her payments
will only be II per cent Of
what she could get at IS. Each
month that she waits to draw
her payments after she reaches
81 will increase the percentage
Of what she could get II she
waits until IS.
BY June 30. about 10000
women had filed for payments
under the reduced age provis-
ion Of the Social Security law.
DISABILITY PAYMENTS
Under this program, a person
is eligible for payments II he:
l. Has a medically estab-
lished mental or physical diSa-
bility so severe that he can't
engage in any substantial work,
and
2. Has had the disability for
at least six months and it APP
pears that the disability is like
ly to last for the rest Of his life,
and
3. Has worked under Social
Security for five Of the 10
years before he was disabled
and for Is of the SO months be-
fore he was disabled, and
4. Is so or older.
The payments under the dis
ability program are the same
as the payments a person would
be entitled to II he we're IS
and retired. They may range
from $50 to $l08.50 a month.
No additional payments for de-
pendents are paid under this
program until the disabled per-
son reaches SIS.
A person who applies for dis
ability payments. can expect
to have his name referred to
the vocational rehabilitation
agency Of his State. This is
done so he may get help to
put him back in a job.
BY June 80. some 100000
disabled persons had applied
and qualified for payments UNI
der the program.
you may tDrite Ray Henry
in care OF this newspaper
about your oiDn Social Security
or retirement problem. Please
tnclose a stamped, SELF
addressed envelope ana rs
cents In coin.)
tFrom AP Nswsfeaturss)