| Written by Jason Lewis, Sentinel Staff Writer, on 10-29-2009 00:00 |
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Social Security Recipients May Not Receive Adjustment
By Jason Lewis
Sentinel Staff Writer
Forty-One million seniors who depend on Social Security may not receive a cost-of-living adjustment, according to Barry Jackson, AARP Online Advocacy Manager.
The yearly increase helps seniors pay their bills and keep up with rising living costs.
This presents a number of problems for seniors, especially with health expenses rising fast. Unless congress acts upon this issue, millions of seniors will see their checks stay flat, or even reduced, while the costs of prescription drugs, utilities and health care continue to climb fast.
"The official measure of inflation, the consumer price index, has not increased in this weak economy while the things seniors need most have continued to increase in price," Jackson said.
Seniors spend an average of $4,400 out of pocket every year on health care alone. And in this tough economy many aging Americans will be depending on Social Security in the near future.
Many seniors are looking for new jobs to pay their bills, which cause them to run into another problem, the lack of jobs. It can take months for a senior to find work.
"We need to demand that Washington addresses the problem of no cost of living adjustment and provide at least modest relief for seniors," Jackson said. "Tell your members of Congress to act now to ensure that this is not the first year America's seniors don't get an automatic Social Security adjustment.
"I believe Congress can, and must, address this problem, and I believe they will. Once they've heard from you." Last update: 10-29-2009 00:00
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