Social Security Celebrates Black History Month

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Throughout the month of February, we celebrate 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 since the late 19th century.

Honoring our shared history and reflecting on the past is one way we unify as a nation. We remember that we are all Americans — we believe in freedom and democracy for all. Another shared belief is that we all deserve a comfortable retirement, free of economic hardship.

Social Security has retirement benefits and 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 1-in-4 chance of becoming disabled before reaching full retirement age. You can see if you meet our strict definition of disabled and also 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. 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. Visit [http://www.socialsecurity%1f%1f%1f.gov]www.socialsecurity­­­.gov to learn more.

By Tonie Garcia

Social Security District Manager in Portsmouth, OH

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