# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1950_S1266
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

FINANCIAL MATTERS 787

nnual formal application for Support to provide his most urgent
eeds. At the beginning of the present year we had 60 disabled
vorkers under age 65 on our roll of beneficiaries, whose earned
‘disability annuity averages only $36 a year.
When a Pension Fund member under age 65 dies, his widow
also is eligible to receive only the earned annuity. The sum is
Jatively small because the accumulations to the credit of the
dividual Pension Fund member are small, inasmuch as the Fund
has been in operation only a matter of twelve years. Contrary to

=the opinion held by many pastors and teachers, a widow does not
“automatically receive $30 a month pension. This applies only to
“the widow of a retired Pension Fund member who receives $60 a
“month Old Age Benefit or to the widow of a Pension Fund member

who was still active at the time of his death and was more than
65 years old at that time. To receive a larger benefit than the actual
earned annuity, the widow must also make annual formal applica-
tion for Support in addition to the earned annuity.

A study of the benefits paid by other Protestant Pension Funds
reveals the fact that in many cases, especially in the larger denom-
inations, a fixed disability pension is paid which ranges from $400
to $1,500 a year, the average being $600. The Pension and Support
now being paid by this Board to disabled workers averages about
$60 a month. It is our opinion that Synod should resolve to pay
a minimum Disability Pension in the sum of $60, this Disability
Pension to be subsidized from Synod’s treasury in the same
manner in which the Old Age Benefit now is being subsidized.
We expect the cost for this Disability Pension will increase our
needs by about $7,500 a year.

We also wish to bring to your attention the fact that the aver-
age Pension and Support being paid to widows of Pension Fund
members is about $30 a month. We therefore make the same
kind of recommendation in behalf of the widows of Pension Fund
members, namely, that Synod go on record instructing the Board
of Support and Pensions to pay a Widow’s Pension in the sum of
$30 a month to every widow of a Pension Fund member whose
account is paid in full at the time of his death. The additional
sum necessary to provide this special benefit will be approximately
$22,500 a year. We therefore offer the following two amendments
to the regulations of the Pension Fund: ;

Special Disability Benefit or Pension

A worker retiring from active service in the church be-
fore age 65 because of disability shall be granted a free subsidy
from Synod’s treasury during the period of this disability to
increase his earned pension annuity to such an amount as may
from time to time be determined by Synod.