General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forumssocial security raise to be among lowest in years
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SOCIAL_SECURITY_COLA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-10-13-08-30-59WASHINGTON (AP) -- For the second straight year, millions of Social Security recipients, disabled veterans and federal retirees can expect historically small increases in their benefits come January.
Preliminary figures suggest a benefit increase of roughly 1.5 percent, which would be among the smallest since automatic increases were adopted in 1975, according to an analysis by The Associated Press.
Next year's raise will be small because consumer prices, as measured by the government, haven't gone up much in the past year.
The exact size of the cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, won't be known until the Labor Department releases the inflation report for September. That was supposed to happen Wednesday, but the report was delayed indefinitely because of the partial government shutdown.
katmondoo
(6,457 posts)a kennedy
(29,672 posts)Never get even a bit ahead, always treading water or losing ground. Oh yah, some middle class lifestyle for us. NOT.
hobbit709
(41,694 posts)That right there is part of the problem. The things I consume, like food, gas, utilities have certainly climbed but those don't count. My SS raise last Jan. was a whopping $15 a month.
durablend
(7,460 posts)Time to throw some chained CPI into the mix!
RebelOne
(30,947 posts)I guess because it was so small that I didn't notice it.
Haven't those idiots said the prices have not gone up much in the past year been in the supermarkets lately? Every time I go shopping the prices on items I usually buy have jumped higher.
a kennedy
(29,672 posts)for Medicare to just about the cost of living increase.
durablend
(7,460 posts)If not, there's your answer!
Worried senior
(1,328 posts)in our Part D plan is much more than the little raise we're going to get. Only thing we can cut back on is food, lots to look forward to.
Faryn Balyncd
(5,125 posts)"chained CPI" would just add insult to injury.