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This week, the Social Security Administration announced that benefits will increase by 2% percent beginning in January 201In addition, The Senior Citizens League announced its support for one new bill that would improve the integrity of the Social Security program..When it comes to the Social Security cost-of-living adjustments many, if not most, of you say that you feel the government is cooking the inflation data. The COLA seldom seems to reflect the growing costs you experience. Two factors are to blame; the choice of a consumer price index used to calculate your COLA, and the methodology that our government uses to calculate price inflation to begin with..The House of Representatives, on the other hand, has passed 10 of the 12 funding bills that are needed, with only the Homeland Security and Legislative branch funding bills left. Because there is so little time left before the start of the new fiscal year there is the real possibility there could be a government shutdown right before the November election..TSCL enthusiastically supports H.R. 1391 since it would strengthen the program without cutting benefits for seniors. We were very pleased to see support grow for it this week..Yes. Social Security provides a variety of benefits to people who have not paid into the system. If one meets certain eligibility criteria, one can be eligible for benefits based on another person's account. Here are some examples:.The CBO option would change the taxation of Social Security to be more like distributions from defined benefit pension plans. Those distributions are fully taxable except for the portion that represents the recovery of "basis," or what an employee paid in - that is, his or her after-tax contributions to the plan. Once the recipient has recovered his or her entire "basis" all subsequent pension distributions are fully taxed..How can payroll taxes be withheld if illegals don't have a Social Security number?.Here are tips to help you maintain your oral health without depleting your budget:.Last week, most seemed doubtful that Members of Congress would successfully reach an agreement before the looming deadline due to demands from some lawmakers to attach hundreds of controversial policy riders to the package. However, this week, many are reporting that appropriators have narrowed down the list of policy riders to a more manageable number, and leaders in Congress seem surprisingly optimistic about the prospects of the massive omnibus.