The Farmville Herald And Farmer Leader

Social Security Summary Shows $291,000 Given 860 Persons Benefit In 3 Local Counties

Some 860 persons in the Prince Edward, Buckingham and Charlotte county area qualified for nearly $291,000 in Social Security benefits during 1952.

The information is contained in a summary prepared for The Herald by William B. Wiley, Social Security field representative who serves this area. Mr. Wiley's headquarters is in the Lynchburg Social Security Field Office.

Mr. Wiley's summary discloses the following payments by division of Social Security eligibility:

Payment Breakdown
Payments to retired workers $123,300; payments to widows over 65, $31,700; payments to wives over 65, $29,800, and payments to young widows with children, $50,700.

Mr. Wiley emphasized that the figures are approximate, since there is constant fluctuation in total amounts because of deaths among insured and because widows receiving benefits often remarry.

Figures for other counties in the Herald area are not available since they are served through other area field headquarters.

New Coverage

During the year, the Social Security Administration felt the first impact of extended coverage provided by the amendments of 1950 as well as from increased benefits provided in changes to the law in 1952.

Five new classes of wage earners were covered for the first time beginning in June, 1951. They were domestic servants in private homes, farm labor, employees of state and local governments, employees of non-profit organizations and self-employed persons.

By counties in this area total benefit recipients and payments were: Prince Edward 410 persons receiving $134,560, Buckingham 260 persons, $85,400, and Charlotte, 195 persons and $71,000.

A look at the national picture revealed that over five million people are receiving $200 million in insurance payments each month.

The total paid in 1952 to these retired workers, their family and to dependent survivors of deceased workers who were insured, will be more than $2 billion.

Eighty per cent of all jobs in the country are covered by the program and 62 million persons are now insured for the benefits on the basis of their employment in covered work.