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Social Security Column
Social Security Celebrates Black History Month
By Phil Walton, Social
Security Manager in Toledo, OH
Guest Column
Throughout the month of February, we honor African Americans
by celebrating Black History Month. Created in 1926, this
event coincides with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln on
February 12 and Frederick Douglass on February 14.
African-American communities have celebrated these birthdays
together for over a century.
Honoring our shared history and reflecting on the past is
one way we can remember that in America, we believe in
freedom and democracy for all. Another shared belief is that
we all deserve a comfortable retirement, free of economic
hardship. This is part of securing today and tomorrow.
Social Security has the tools to help you plan for your
retirement and to apply for benefits online. We also provide
disability benefits to individuals with medical conditions
that prevent them from working. If the disabled individual
has dependent family members, they can also receive
payments.
If you or anyone you know is disabled, they may qualify for
disability benefits. Studies show that a 20-year-old worker
has a one-in-four chance of becoming disabled before
reaching full retirement age. You can see if you meet our
strict definition of disabled and apply for disability
benefits at
www.socialsecurity.gov/disabilityssi/apply.html.
Widows, widowers, and their dependent children may be
eligible for Social Security survivors benefits. Social
Security helps by providing income for the families of
workers who die. In fact, 98 of every 100 children could get
benefits if a working parent dies. And Social Security pays
more benefits to children than any other federal program.
You can learn more about Social Security survivors benefits
at
www.socialsecurity.gov/survivors.
Honoring each other begins with fair and equal treatment.
Social Security guarantees that, if you pay into the system,
you will have the same benefits as everyone else according
to your earnings record. This Black History Month, we want
to make sure our diverse nation is covered and that no one
is left out of the benefits they deserve. We are with you
through life’s journey. Get to know your Social Security.
Visit us at
https://www.ssa.gov/people/africanamericans/. |
