When a dependent is lost because of divorce or death, the benefit to a widow with dependent children continues without reduction. until the end of the calendar year. ASSETS TEST.-Parents who receive death compensation benefits are subject to a net worth test. OTHER CONDITIONS Work requirements.-None. Acceptance of training or rehabilitation. No requirement. However, educational assistance is available for widows and children. Citizenship.-No requirement. Lien, recovery, assignment, or relative responsibility.-No provision. Institutional status.-Benefits are unchanged if the beneficiary is institutionalized. Residence requirements.-None. BENEFITS AND SERVICES (AS OF JANUARY 1975) NATURE OF BENEFITS.-Cash. Primary determinants of amounts of benefits.-The size of benefits is determined by: (1) The number of eligible children; (2) the sex and health of the surviving spouse (that is, whether the widow needs regular aid and attendance or the widower is totally disabled); (3) the number, marital status, health, living arrangements and income of dependent parents; and (4) under DIC, the pay grade of the deceased veteran. Relationship of benefit amount to family size.-Total benefit amounts increase with family size. DIC benefits increase by an equal amount per child if there is a widow, but otherwise by a declining amount for the second, third, and fourth children. Family size differentials are different in the death compensation program. See supplementary material for schedules. Relationship of benefits to place of residence.-Benefits are uniform throughout the 50 States and in the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Relationship of benefit amount to cost of living. The legislation provides no automatic adjustments for higher living costs, but Congress periodically increases benefits. Amount of benefits.-Maximum monthly benefits (for persons with little or no countable income) as of January 1975 were as follows: DEATH COMPENSATION PROGRAM Widow with no child, $87; widow with one child, $121 (plus $29 per month additional for each extra child); children without mother entitled to widows' benefits, $67 for one child, $94 for two children, $122 for three children (plus $23 per month for each additional child, total amounts divided equally); dependent parents, $75 for a dependent mother or father, $40 each for a dependent mother and father; and if the widow or dependent parent is in a nursing home or so nearly helpless or blind as to require regular aid and attendance, $64 additional. DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY COMPENSATION Widow, from $215 per month to $549, depending on deceased veteran's pay grade; plus $26 for each child; children without mother entitled to widow's benefits, $108 for one child, $156 for two children; $201 for three children, plus $40 for each additional child (total amounts divided equally); Adult child who became disabled before reaching age 18, compensation increased by $64 per month (by $108 if his mother is entitled to widow's benefits); dependent parents, compensation varies with income; maximums are $123 for one parent, $86 for each of two parents living separately, $83 for each of two parents living together; and if the widow or dependent parent is in a nursing home or so nearly helpless or blind as to require regular aid and attendance, $64 month additional. As noted, these are maximum benefits payable for persons or families with little or no other income. However, most persons and families do have other income, such as earnings or social security, so it is useful to look at how benefits supplement these other income sources. A widow with children, for example, may supplement benefits with earnings or other income without limit. Annual payments per case averaged $1,968 in fiscal year 1973 and were estimated at $2,001 in fiscal year 1974 and projected at $2,030 in fiscal year 1975. In June 1973 the average monthly payment to a widow was $217.29, to a widow with children, $267.89, and to one dependent parent, approximately $80. Perspectives on benefit amounts.-A widow can receive a maximum of $549 monthly in DIC benefits, $6,588 per year, almost triple the poverty line for a single person. A family of four can receive as much as $7,524 annually in DIC benefits, almost 50 percent above the July 1974 poverty line, or as little as $3,516, 30 percent below the poverty line, depending on the deceased veteran's pay grade. Under the death compensation program, a family unit of four would receive only $2,148 annually, less than half the poverty line, but it could elect instead to receive DIC benefits of at least $3,516. These benefits could be supplemented by cash aid from the aid to families with dependent children program in many States, and by food stamps in all States. Maximum benefits for dependent parents are well below the poverty line. Nearly all such parents, however, would be eligible for another income-tested Federal program, supplemental security income (SSI). SSI guarantees a single aged individual almost as much as the maximum DIC payment to a dependent parent couple with little or no other countable income. The bulk of dependent parents would have social security income, and hence would not be totally dependent upon DIC or death compensation benefits. In various combinations, DIC death compensation plus social security, SSI, State supplementals to SSI, and food stamps would yield more adequate total incomes. Veterans' benefits are tax free and expense free, and hence, are worth more than the same amount of gross earnings. OTHER BENEFITS PROVIDED OR AVAILABLE.-Widows and children of a veteran who died because of service-connected disabilities are eligible for educational assistance. Unremarried widows of veterans of World War II and the Korean conflict, whose deaths were service-connected, are eligible for a GI home loan. Along with unremarried widows, mothers of deceased veterans are eligible for preference in Federal employment. The wife and child of a totally disabled veteran also are eligible for medical care from the Veterans Administration unless they have entitlement under CHAMPUS (Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services) or medicare. SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY COMPENSATION (MONTHLY BENEFITS) (EFFECTIVE MAY 1, 1974) A. Widow, but no child-based on pay grade of deceased veteran as set forth below: 1 Where veteran served as sergeant major of the Army or Marine Corps, senior enlisted adviser of the Navy, chief master sergeant of the Air Force, the widow's monthly rate is $316. 2 Where veteran served as chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff or Chief of Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps, the widow's monthly rate is $589. Additions: Widow with one or more children under 18 years of age. Monthly addition $26 for each child. Widow in nursing home or helpless or $64. blind (or so nearly so as to require regular aid and attendance.) B. Where there is no widow, but there are entitled children: Monthly additions Supplements to children: Child entitled who is over 18 but was rendered totally incapable of $64 If there is a widow and child over 18, but who was rendered totally incapable of self-support before age 18 108 If there is a widow and child, child between ages of 18 and 23 years is attending an accredited educational institution... 55 C. Dependent parents. One dependent parent (or, one dependent parent remarried and living with his spouse 1): Annual countable income: $1,301 to $1,600__. $1,601 to $1,800__. $1,801 to $2,000. $2,001 to $3,000---- $3,000___ $3,001 and above... Two dependent parents not living together: Annual countable income of each parent: Monthly benefit for each parent $0 to $800__ $801 to $1,100-- $1,101 to $2,100___ $2,101 to $2,500 $2,501 to $3,000__. $3,000___ $3,001 and above... Two dependent parents living together (or, one dependent parent, remarried and living with his spouse 1): Combined annual countable income of both 1 A dependent parent who has remarried and lives with his spouse can choose to be treated either as a single parent or as a married couple living together. SPECIAL BENEFITS FOR DISABLED COAL MINERS BASIC PROGRAM INFORMATION LEGISLATIVE OBJECTIVE.-To replace income lost to persons working in coal mines because they have become totally disabled because of pneumoconiosis (black lung disease) and to replace income lost to widows, children, parents, brothers, and sisters of miners 2 died of this disease or who were totally disabled from it at the time of their death. DATE ENACTED AND MAJOR CHANGES SINCE ENACTMENT.-The original legislation enacted in 1969 provided for temporary Federal administration of the program, with a termination date of December 30, 1976. Major changes were enacted in 1972, one of which extended the termination date to December 30, 1981. During the period prior to 1981, individual States have the option of assuming administrative responsibility for the program through their workmen's compensation mechanisms, provided they enact legislation which meets the standards in the law. None of the States have yet come into complete compliance. ADMINISTERING AGENCIES.-The Social Security Administration of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare is responsible for the payment and administration of all benefit claims filed before July 1, 1973, and for certain survivors' claims filed thereafter, through district and branch offices. The Department of Labor is responsible for new miners' claims filed on or after July 1, 1973, and for certain survivors' claims filed on or after January 1, 1974. Claims for miners" and survivors' benefits (either with SSA or DOL) may be filed through social security district and branch offices. FINANCING. Benefits payable by the Social Security Administration are financed through open-ended Federal appropriations. Coal mine operators or their insurers are liable after December 31, 1973, for payment of benefits for new miners' claims filed after June 30, 1973, and for certain survivors' claims filed after December 31, 1973. Where the Department of Labor cannot affix operator liability or where a State has not enacted legislation to provided adequate coverage for pneumoconiosis, payments to beneficiaries are made from Federal general funds. 1 The term "widow" means the wife living with or dependent for support on the deceased at the timeof his death, or living apart for reasonable cause or because of his desertion, or who is the mother of his child, or who was married to him for 9 months, and who is not married. 2 The term "miner" means any individual who is or was employed in a coal mine. |