W000345
Wednesday, November 07, 2001 8:43 AM
survivors benefits
I would like to respond to your request for comments regarding the benefits to child survivors of any one who dies in America.
In 1981 President Regan ,for who knows what reason, took away the survivor benefits for children of parents who died after they reach the age of 19 or the day they graduate from High School.
Great Graduation Present?!
Needless to say for most children with one or no parent college is out!
Especially if depression due to the parents death sets in......
My 2 son's reached age 19 and lost the $500 per mo survivor benefit they rec. after their father was killed he was crushed between 2 RR cars. It was sudden,without warning, no chance to say goodbye, horrific death of their male role model at the most crucial age of 14 and 15 years old.
However, when they reached age 19 and lost the benefits life became hard to handle.
One son was Senior class treasurer, student council rep and was in Junior college classes for college credit. We did not have the $129 . to pay the High school for his classes to count. He wanted to be a Doctor.
No senior pictures, a few announcements and that was all.
My gifted (his grades in HS dropped to 1.2 the quarter his dad died ) son's friends are Seniors in College he is now a Sophomore as he has had to drop out 2 times to earn money and then try to go back. He lives in an apartment with his brother and they gets a part tuition scholarship for football. He has no books and had 3 B's and 1 A at mid term
He played football last Saturday and had not eaten 2 meals on Friday he said he and his brother jump over the rope in the school cafeteria sometimes to eat free .(they are in a " christian" college.) I told them this was lying but..........
Sunday I bought him and his brother $243. in groceries and did not pay my rent. $730. I am a teacher and I clear $925 every 2 weeks. I have been ill but currently can't afford the medicine co pay so I can't get my meds. But last week I received a letter from the Dept of Ed that they will now take my income tax return for past school loans from 1971 when I got my College degree. I feel like I am paying enough but now the money will be less. The Ed dept already takes over $100 every month for past school loans .
My older son has a heart condition and medical bills prevented me from getting ahead to pay the loans when the boys were growing up.
Needless to say the 2 boys are now struggling in college money wise.
The older son is a Senior now in college and works full time and that is ok but at times the depression hits and it is so hard for the boys to keep trying. Like Sept. 11 when the stories of people going through what they went through and the thought that even though you try to make people proud of you and are a model High school student you won't have money to go to college.
We have taken the max out in loans and there are not that many grants. There is still not enough for school.
Loss of that survivor benefit really hurt our family.
I never remarried after the children's father's death. This means there was just one income.
We really needed the survivor benefits to continue .
Cobra ins. was out of the question we could not afford it. Especially with my older son's pre existing heart condition.
Meds for seizures have left him with a learning disability that requires him to study 3 times as hard as others just to get a "C".
The railroad however bought out the Santa Fe RR and many other big businesses made money in 1981 when this was passed by congress.
The Social Security laws are the same and the children of America were "sold for 30 pieces of gold" by congress.
I know the children who lost parent's in the WTC bombing will reach age 19 or graduate from HS in the coming year.
Someone needs to change this terrible law.
The survivor benefit needs to be "grandfathered in" to cover all children who lost parent or parents and continue until the child reaches age 25 or graduates from college. The taxpayers & workers of America do not know about this problem unless a family member dies . Also they don't have enough money to continue to pay with the job lay offs.
Not a day goes by when my son's do not think of their Dad and his pain and thoughts at his death.
Yesterday their Dad's Mom died and the whole thing will be relived Friday at her funeral.
Please help the victim's by paying a lobby in Congress to change this unfair law.
Sincerely,
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