The 2013 COLA will be announced October 16, 201Based on CPI-W data through June 2012, TSCL's Advisor editor Mary Johnson forecasts that the COLA payable next year will be about 1.4% - 1.5%. That would make it one of the lowest COLAs paid in the 38 years since the COLA became automatic..Can I Work and Receive Social Security Benefits at the Same Time?.And remember, there is no plan anywhere on how to shore up Social Security, even if the Payroll tax deferment is not made permanent..We should also ensure senior citizens are getting an accurate cost of living adjustment. The model the government is using right now would be fine if seniors were regularly buying iPods and laptop computers. But that's just not the case. I've proposed a better way to calculate the COLA based on items seniors actually use, such as food, housing, gasoline, healthcare and prescription drugs..Pressure on Congress is ramping up for immigration legislation that provides a "clear path to citizenship" for an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants. House GOP Members are reportedly working on several immigration bills, including two that would grant some form of legal status. Conservative pro-immigration reform groups, including business leaders and law enforcement, are pushing the House to take action, perhaps early this spring. The Senate passed an immigration reform bill last July..On Tuesday, after five days of debate, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved the "Gang of Eight's" comprehensive immigration reform bill by a vote of thirteen to five. If signed into law, the bill would provide more than 11 million immigrants with a path to citizenship. A number of amendments were adopted by the Senate Committee members, but TSCL was disappointed that they failed to approve an amendment that would have prevented immigrants from earning Social Security credits based on work completed while in the country illegally. Sen. Orrin Hatch sponsored the amendment, and while he ultimately voted in favor of advancing the bill, he did state that it "needs more improvement" before he would consider supporting it on the Senate floor..While you should check with a professional financial advisor, you and your husband still have the right to claim spousal benefits only, when you turn 6Under the new law changes, while you couldn't apply for spousal benefits, based on a suspended application, your husband can apply for spousal benefits based on your full retirement age benefit, using a restricted application while his own benefit continues to grow. He would receive half of your benefit, or about 5 per month, until he claims his own retirement benefit. Together the two of you would receive ,215 per month, which is better than the ,150 you alone were hoping to get as a spousal benefit. Then, when he turns 70, he can claim his full benefit of about ,100 per month..Medicare doesn't cover dental benefits, and dental insurance premiums can be more expensive than paying out of your own pocket for routine check ups- and cleanings. The cost to buy an individual policy averages about 0 a year. That's about what you might pay out-of-pocket without any insurance for two annual exams and cleanings, plus some X-rays..TSCL agrees that the WEP and the GPO must be repealed as soon as possible so that public employees receive the retirement benefits they have earned and deserve. We look forward to working closely with Sen. Brown in the coming months to help build support for his important new bill.
