The Mississippi enterprise. (Jackson, Miss.) 1938-current, 1961-08-05
Changes In Your Social Security
BY John T. Pate
(Hanager of the Jackson Social Security District
Offce)

About million and half older people-the widows,
dependent wdowerS and dependent parents OF workers
who died are due receive increased payments un-
der the amendments to the social security law
The benefits payable to widows age 81 will
be raised about 10 percent Widows eligible for the in
creased payments do not need to get IN touch with their
social security offices The increase will be added a-
omatcally to their checks for August that they will
ceive early in September
Congress called this increase lone of the most needed
changes in the social security program Aged widows
not only get lower benefits than do retired workers. but
they also have less income from other than
tired workers have.
The average benefit being paid to aged widow
early this year $3.50 month. The yearly income
for half the women receiving widows benefits, not
counting their social security benefits less than
S270 year.
Aged dependent widowers and some aged parents of
deceased workers also due automatic 10 percent in
creases with the social security checks payable to them
in early September. However, an increase in parents
benefit check will be made in those where only
parent is receiving benefits based the deceased
sons daughters work under social security Where
more than one dependent parent receives parents
benefit, there will be increase.
number of widows age 81 older getting
retirement benefits based their work under
cia security Because of the change in the law increas
ing widows benefits it is possible that of these
widows getting monthly retirement benefits on
their work will be able qualify for higher
mounts by applying for the widows benefits payable
their husbands accounts.
A widow now collecting her own retirement bene-
fit find out whether this change in the law applies
her by asking at her nearest social security office
In my last article the 1861 amendments to the
cial security law described the increase in the social
security benefits payable to aged widows and Widowers
and to certain aged dependent parents.
In this article would like to tell you about another
group whose social security benefits raised They
are the 2175O00 approximately $4,000 in Mississippi
persons who receive social security benefits at
the minimum level of $33 month.
The change raises the minimum level to $40 month.
Under the law, the lowest benefit payable to a
worker who retired at 65 or later will be $40 beginning
with the checks for August mailed early in September
Dependents of these retired workers will also receive
increases in their benefits if the increase will not raise
the total family payment above 500 Where there is
only person getting benefits based the social
curity account Of worker who has died. the survivors
will have his or her monthly payment increased to $40
There will also be small increase in the payments to
survivor-fanies who have been getting total family
payment of less than $50
These increases, amounting to estimated $225 mil
lion during the first u months they will be in effect
will be made automatically There is need for bene-
ficiaries to apply for the increase