RE: widows' benefits

[Ruth Reilly <achren2@aol.com>]

Ruth Reilly asked:

> I paid in to Social Security for years.  When I retired, I was told
> I could receive benefits on my own account or that of my deceased
> husband.  I chose the latter, because they said it was larger.  Am
> I getting the same amount as if I had never paid anything in?

Evelyn Fogel replied:

> Date: Fri, 23 Apr 1999 11:22:47 EDT 
> From: FOGELHE68@aol.com 
> Subject: widows' benefits 
>
> Yes, you are getting the same amount as you would if you had never
> paid in a cent.
>
> This seems unfair to me. 

Ruth Reilly answers:

It seemed unfair to me until I thought about it.  Then I reasoned
that I and my employers had paid insurance premiums into my account.
My husband and his employers had paid into his account.  He got
paid at a higher rate than I did.  He got sick and died and stopped
paying.  I went on working and paying.  As a widow and a worker,
I had the choice of either/or.  I decided this is fair.  It is very
hard to devise a big system that treats individuals fairly.