The Sidney herald., 1960-09-14

Have you ever wondered how
you and your family would make
out financially if you should be-
come disabled and unable to work
anymore? An important part of
your answer may be social security
disability payments.
During the year 1856, the social
security law was changed to give
additional protection to you if
you should become totally disabled
and unable to engage in substan-
tial gainful employment. This
protection is designed to replace
a part of the earnings that have
been lost because of disability by
providing monthly cash payments
to you and also payments to GER
tain members of your family.
The big questions facing every
one are how do l qualify for these
payments and what will they
mean to me in dollars and cents.
Like the retirement and survi-
vors benefits that are payable
under the social security law, eel
tain basic requirements must also
be met before you can be eligible
for disability payments. These re-
quirements are: ID You must have
at least 20 quarters Is years. of
work in employment or Self-em-
ployment covered under the social
security law. These 20 quarters
do not have to be continuous but
they must be within the 40 quar-
ter period 90 years. just prior to
the date you become disabled. CD
You must have a disability, either
physical or mental, that is expect
ed to be l~ong-lasting and so severe
that it prevents you from doing
any substantial gainful work. A
temporary or partial disability
not meet this requirement. CD
You must have reached the age Of
so but not age IS. If, of course,
you are 65 years of age or over
you may be eligible for your re-
tirement benefits under the old
age insurance program. If you are
under so and disabled and meet
the work requirements mentioned
in ID above, then you may pro-
tect your future benefits by APP
plying for a "freeze" of your
earnings record. This will assure
that your own and your family's
future benefits will not be lower
ed or forfeited because you are
unable to work. (4 You must be
disabled for 6 full months before
disability benefits can be paid to
you and to any members of your
family. 5)You must file a formal
application with the Social Secur-
ity Administration. This can be
done by contracting the district
office nearest to your home. 60
You must present sufficient med
ical evidence to establish the sew
Gritty of your disability. Medical
report forms will be given you
when you make application for
the benefits. You will then be ask
ed to take or mail this form to
your doctor and to places where
you have been treated for your
disability.
Dollars and cents wise, the dis
ability payments amount to the
same as the retirement benefits
due you at age SIS. The amount is
determined by your average
monthly earnings with the period
of your disability excluded in fig
uring your average. These monthly
payments to you would range
from a minimum of $500 to a
maximum of about $4,000. In
addition to your payments, bene-
fits may be paid to your wife and
children. This includes children
under the age of 18 or if over 18,
those who have been totally dis
abled since before they reached
10 years of age. Your wife can be
paid monthly benefits if she is 81
years of age or older, and if not
81. she can be paid benefits re-
CARELESS of her age if she has in
her care a child.
In the event you are later able
to go back to work your disability
payments will be stopped. They
will not be stopped Immediately
as they may be continued for {