Ida May Fuller

Ida May Fuller ( born September 6, 1874 in Ludlow, Vermont, † January 27, 1975 in Brattleboro, Vermont) was the first person in the U.S., which benefits from the pension system established in 1935 (Social Security ) received.

Ida May Fuller was born on a farm and grew up in modest circumstances. She first worked as a teacher until 1905 took a job as a paralegal. In this profession, she worked for the rest of their lives. She had never married, had no children and lived most of the time alone. Only in the last eight years of her life she lived with her niece.

In 1935 was founded by President Roosevelt under the New Deal, the pension system. Up to this time there had been in the U.S. no state pension. Mrs. Fuller paid starting from the second quarter of 1937 1% of their income in taxes and social security contributions ( payroll tax) and paid so until retirement on November 4, 1939, which rose $ 24.75 to pension contributions.

After retirement she inquired at the responsible management of the pension scheme in Rutland County, whether it was entitled to any payment and then received on 31 January 1940 as the first person in the United States, a pension check for the amount of $ 22.54.

Until her death at the age of 100 years, she received including future pension increases a sum of $ 22,888.92 be paid, which is approximately equal in proportion to the funds paid a thousand times.