Shutdown Halts Social Security Payment Adjustments, Leaving Seniors and the Disabled in Limbo
Social Security recipients, like Sue Conard, are expressing concerns that their benefits are not keeping pace with rising healthcare costs. The current government shutdown is delaying crucial data used to calculate cost-of-living adjustments, projected to be only 2.7% for the coming year. This adjustment, while providing a small monthly increase, is not considered sufficient by many, as the inflation data used does not specifically reflect the expenses faced by the elderly, such as healthcare and prescription drugs. Advocates are pushing for the use of the CPI-E, a consumer price index tailored to the elderly, but related legislative efforts have stalled.
John Q. Hosedrinker