Posts Tagged ‘unemployment’

Competing rallies were recently held involving gas rig Marcellus Shale gas production in Pennsylvania.  Pro-job advocates rallied at the Capitol in Harrisburg touting the numerous job opportunities being created by the natural gas industry.  Unemployment rates have dropped significantly throughout the Marcellus Shale region especially in Bradford and Tioga counties.  At the same time, in Valley Forge National Park advocates rallied in favor of taxing natural gas producing companies operating in Western, Central and Northeastern Pennsylvania. Advocates stressed the need to increase state revenues and protect the environment.  The twelve lawyers at   Dougherty Leventhal and Price LLP, DLP continues to represent accident victims involved in cases arising from gas industry, gas company trucks, drill rig accidents and other natural gas related matters.

Carolyn was collecting Social Security retirement benefits and was working a part-time job as well.

ISSUE: Carolyn was laid off and wanted to know whether or not her unemployment compensation that she was receiving would reduce the amount of Social Security she was entitled to.

ANSWER: No. Unemployment benefits are not counted as wages under the Social Security’s Annual Earnings test. Carolyn will find out though that her unemployment may be less if she is receiving a pension or other retirement income, including Social Security. Carolyn had taken her Social Security at sixty two years old because she was worried about the safety of the Social Security system based on rumors she had heard. At the present time, the Social Security trust fund, according to the fund’s trustees, will be solvent until at least the year 2037.

Disclaimer: The above article is for instructive purposes only and each case is fact sensitive. Consultation with an attorney should be obtained instead of reliance upon the legal issues discussed in this column.