| Show old age insurance benefits befits 2200 in this area after 15 years operation old age and survivors insurance is paying about in monthly benefits to 2200 in the area serviced by the trinidad colo field office this area includes las animas huerfano Huer fano costilla conejos alamosa alamona rio kio grande saguache mineral archuleta la plata san juan and montezuma counties in colorado and san juan county in utah mrs thomas manager of the office noting that federal insurance program commenced op cration on january 1 1937 described it today as a a natural natura institution reaching more people in a typical community than any othet other organized program for family security from its comparatively modest beginning in 1937 the system has developed in a decade and a half into the largest single insurance operation the first year in which monthly world has ever known in 1940 benefits were paid total benefit payments for the year were approximately 35 million dollars for the fifteenth year ending dec 31 1951 total benefit payments were 1900 million dollars clo lars paid to nearly four and one half million people the greatest increase in benefit payments occurred in the programs fifteenth year this 15 thomas points out was caused bv higher payments to individual beneficiaries and by the large number of people made eligible for benefits under liber qualifying requirements In increases creales in benefit payment i ales to retired workers range from 50 to for example the minimum payment of 10 was doubled the maximum payable to a retired worker in august 1950 was wac this was raised to nearly everyone in this country has a stake in this contributory tribu tory insurance system sy s t c m says thomas three out of every four persons gainfully employed or self employed are engaged in work covered by the law sixty two million people are now insured under the program which is now providing life insurance protection to three out of every four of the nations mothers and children eighty five million people now living have made tax cori contributions to old age and survivors insurance says thomas it is to the employees their employers and to people who work for themselves that the social security administration directs this report |
