Page 10 - Chehalis Tribal Newsletter - December, 2018

10

Social DELAY SOLID FOODS

Security WIC WANTS YOUR BABY TO GET THE BEST START ON LIFE!

important n Wait until 5-6 months to feed
your baby solid foods. Early
for women introduction to solids promotes
overfeeding, obesity, choking/
aspiration and food allergies.
Contributed by Kirk Larson, Social Security
Washington Public Affairs Specialist n Research shows feeding solid
Social Security plays an especially foods early does not help babies
important role in providing economic sleep through the night.
security for women. In the 21st century,
more women work, pay Social Security
taxes, and earn credit toward monthly
retirement income than at any other time
in our nation’s history. In fact, about 59
percent of people getting Social Security
payments are women. But, women face
greater economic challenges in retirement:
n They tend to live longer than men.
A woman who is 65 years old today can
expect to live until about 87, while a
65-year-old man can expect to live until
about 84.
n Women often have lower lifetime
earnings than men.
n They might reach retirement with
smaller pensions and other assets than
men.
Social Security offers a basic level
of protection to all women. When you
work, you pay taxes into Social Security,
providing for your own benefits. And
your spouse’s earnings can give you Social
Security coverage as well. Women who
don’t work are often covered through their
spouses’ work. When their spouses retire,
become disabled or die, women can receive
benefits. There are also options of filing on
a divorced spouse’s record.
If you’re a worker age 18 or older, you
can get a Social Security Statement online.
Your statement is a valuable tool to help
you plan a secure financial future, and
we recommend that you look at it each
year. Your statement provides a record
of your earnings. To create an account
online and review your statement, go to
socialsecurity.gov/myaccount.
If your spouse dies, you can get widow’s
benefits if you’re age 60 or older. If you
have a disability, you can get widow’s
benefits as early as age 50. Your benefit
amount will depend on your age and on
the amount your deceased spouse was
entitled to at the time of death.
You might be eligible for widow’s * Special tribal member rate available
benefits and Medicare before age 65 if through February 2019
you have a disability and are entitled
to benefits. You also may be eligible for
benefits if you are caring for a child who is
younger than 16.
Our “People Like Me” website at
socialsecurity.gov/people/women has
valuable resources for people of all ages.