News

"TSCL surveys indicate there is no support for benefit cuts among older voters," Johnson says. "We have learned, however, that there is widespread support to boost the amount of wages subject to the Social Security payroll tax, and to provide more adequate Social Security income," she says. "Raising the Social Security taxable maximum is a way to do both," she points out..In general, distributions from a traditional IRA are taxable in the year you receive them, although there are some exceptions. Thus you would need to figure the full amount of your distribution in figuring your provisional income..TSCL thus believes that the DREAM Act may ultimately lead to a tsunami of new Social Security disability and retirement claims, as well as swelling the Medicare rolls. The 2004 Social Security Protection Act requires that noncitizens assigned Social Security numbers after January 1, 2004, must have work authorization in order to file a claim for benefits. Once work authorization documents are provided, however, the Social Security Administration would then determine entitlement for benefits on all earnings, even including jobs performed while illegal. If the green card holder proves evidence of the jobs worked, like W2s, even under invalid Social Security numbers the earnings would be applied to their new Social Security number..If Trump does, in fact, veto the bill it is likely Congress will attempt to override it this week although the timing of the override attempt may hinge on whether an agreement of government funding can be reached this week..The flowers in the vase don't have enough water..It is far easier for physicians than hospitals to opt out of taking Medicare patients. Most hospitals must accept them since they rely on Medicare payments to fund inpatient stays, doctor training and other functions..To improve program solvency, TSCL's surveys have found that a large majority of survey participants, 72%, support applying the Social Security payroll tax to all earnings instead of just the first 2,800 in earnings..The bill would provide seniors with vision benefits in 2022, hearing benefits in 2023 and some dental benefits by 202Progressives are pushing for an earlier start to the dental benefits and that the government increase its share of the cost, which ramps up to 50% by 2032..Legislation that would tie COLAs to an index that measures inflation experienced by older households, the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly, has recently been reintroduced. The CPI-E tends to grow more quickly that the CPI-W in most, but not every, year. "2021 is one of those times when gasoline prices soar and the CPI-W would yield the higher COLA," Johnson says. "If the COLA for 2022 were based on the CPI-E, we estimate it would be 5 percent compared to the 6.2 percent that we estimate for the CPI-W," Johnson notes. The Senior Citizens League works to protect and strengthen Social Security benefits and program financing.