In the days ahead, many Senators will be holding town hall meetings in their home states. TSCL encourages its members and supporters to attend these events and to ask important questions about the BCRA, like the following two….TSCL supports H.R. 4012 enthusiastically, and we were pleased to see two new cosponsors sign on to it this week. We will be advocating for the passage of H.R. 4012 and S. 2251 Sen. Elizabeth Warren's companion bill tirelessly in the coming months because we know that a 3.9 percent COLA would provide much-needed relief to our members and supporters next year..The Notch Fairness Act, H.R. 615, introduced by Representative Ralph Hall, would allow Notch Babies their choice of a higher monthly benefit or a lump-sum of ,000 payable in four annual installments. The legislation would allow eligible survivors of Notch Babies, persons who receive Social Security benefits based on the account of a Notch Baby, to receive up to 100% of the benefit payable to the deceased..Finally, because it started in China and it is a new strain of flu, health care officials in the U.S. are still learning about it and uncertainty exists..Medicare costs take a significant portion of retirees' Social Security benefits. A survey conducted by The Senior Citizens League found that more than 51 percent of survey participants report spending at least 6 per month on total healthcare costs and more than one in- five spend ,000 or more per month..The House recently voted to pass my bipartisan Senior Security Act, which takes senior fraud and scams head on and will help the Security Exchange Commission and, federal prosecutors, crack down on these senior-preying criminals. I introduced this bill with Republican Congressman Trey Hollingsworth of Indiana..A growing number of workers expect to rely heavily on Social Security for most of their income, but three-quarters of current retirees are receiving reduced benefits. The retirement age is gradually rising to 67 and, by taking benefits when first eligible at age 62, beneficiaries settle for permanently reduced benefits. Delaying benefits until "full retirement age" or thereafter is the best way to maximize benefits. For example at full retirement age retirees due a monthly benefit of ,000 would receive only 0 at age 62 if they took it. Individuals who can continue to work and delay retirement until 70 can receive a benefit ,320 instead. But even the individuals who wait until age 70 to allow benefits to grow to their maximum, would still be living close to the federal poverty level if Social Security is their only income..The fact that there are actually two Social Security trust funds is important when you break down the numbers behind the trust funds' cash deficits. According to the Social Security Trustees' "intermediate" projections, the OASI trust fund would run a cash deficit of billion in 2010, and the DI trust fund a billion cash deficit..them completed about 30 days BEFORE the annual fall Medicare Part D Open
