Do you still have your first Social Security card and the brochure that came with it?
I got my card almost immediately after my 14th birthday during the Eisenhower era.
With it came a small information brochure. It told me how to make sure that my employer paid into Social Security and gave me lots of other information.
Here is some key language.
"YOUR CARD shows you have an insurance account with the U.S. Government, under the old-age and survivors insurance system provided for in the Social Security Act.
YOUR ACCOUNT is a record of the pay you receive which counts toward old-age and survivors insurance benefits. The size of benefits will depend upon the amount of wages credited to your account.
MONTHLY BENEFITS may be paid to men and women at retirement age (65 for men, and 62 for women). In addition, disabled workers may qualify for benefits at 50.
Benefits may be paid to the wife or to the dependent husband of a retired worker if that person has also reached retirement age. Benefits are also payable to a retired worker's children under 18, to his disabled children, regardless of their age, and to the wife (any age) caring for such children."
IF THE WORKER DIES benefits may be paid to the widow or to the dependent widower at retirement age. Benefits are also payable to disabled children and to children under 18, and to their mother, regardless of her age. Benefits may be paid to the dependent parent of a worker if the parent has reached retirement age.
In addition, when an insured worker dies a lump-sum payment may be made to the widow (or widower) or, if there is no widow or widower, to the person who paid the funeral expenses."
The language is quaint. The sexism is a little offensive by our standards. And referring to seniors as "old-aged" is pretty dated. But I consider this card to state an express or implied contractual agreement between me and the government.
There is a promise -- that the government will provide benefits if I qualify and I provided consideration by paying the government a part of my earnings over the years.
I don't think I looked at the brochure since I first got it, and I had no idea I still had it until the other day when I was going through an old box of items -- books from my childhood and things like that to show my children when they come for Christmas.
Does anyone else have the original brochure that came with their original Social Security card?
I wonder whether people still receive a brochure when they sign up for Social Security. I don't think my children did. They were much younger than 14 when they were given cards.
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