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Social Security is
America’s family protection plan. It is more than a retirement
program; it provides valuable survivors and disability protection
for workers and their families.
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As a result of September
11th, Social Security received 5,375 individual benefit
claims from 2,060 families. Most of the assistance went to
family members of those killed in the terrorist attacks. However,
Social Security also helped workers get disability and retirement
benefits.
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Survivors
Benefits: When a worker dies, certain surviving family
members may be eligible for benefits. Social Security is
currently paying monthly benefits to 2,376 surviving children
and 852 surviving spouses. In addition to monthly benefits,
one-time payments were made to 1,800 members of victims’ families.
Nearly $31 million
in benefits have been paid to people affected by the September
11th tragedies.
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The first payments
to surviving family members (benefits for the month of September)
were paid on October 3, 2001.
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As of August 2002,
Social Security is paying more than $2.9 million per month.
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More than $30.8 million
has been paid from September 2001 through August 2002.
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Social Security
responded to the September 11th terrorist attacks by
activating special emergency procedures to give the fastest possible
service to the families of the victims of the tragedies at the
World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania.
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These procedures
allowed for acceptance of documents as proof of death that,
under other circumstances, would not have been accepted. Airplane
manifests, lists of employees furnished by employers and other
statements that placed the worker at the scene of the attacks
were accepted.
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Social Security
employees helped families at special assistance centers that
were established in New York, Arlington, VA, and Shanksville,
PA
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