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On Tuesday, the Social Security Administration announced that beneficiaries will receive a 0.3 percent cost-of-living adjustment in January the lowest Social Security COLA ever paid. It will increase the average monthly benefit by just around five dollars, and it is likely to be offset completely by increased Medicare Part B premiums..Nearly 1.5 million public servants are currently affected by the WEP because they have earned pensions from their state or local government, but have also paid into Social Security through previous or secondary employment. Their earned Social Security benefits are often reduced by as much as 40 percent. In addition, the GPO affects public servants who are entitled to Social Security spousal or survivors benefits based on the work history of a husband or wife. Nine out of ten times, the benefits to which they are entitled are eliminated altogether..Last fall, Republican candidates made a lot of campaign promises: to create more jobs, to roll back federal regulations and to increase energy production. But you didn't see any bumper stickers or yard signs promising to gut Social Security. Yet, the first thing House Republicans did in the new session of Congress was to quietly change a rule that could force cuts in Social Security benefits for millions of Americans by the end of next year. By turning a simple procedural tool into a "doomsday" scenario, House Republicans want to manufacture a crisis in order to justify cuts and to move toward their goal of Social Security privatization, a long-time goal of Wall Street and right - wing think tanks..The so-called "cromnibus," as many on Capitol Hill are calling it, seems to be a compromise that most lawmakers will be able to accept. However, some have been outspoken about their opposition since it does not include a policy rider that would explicitly prohibit the funding of the President's executive orders. Sen. Ted Cruz, stated this week: "Congress should stand up and use the power of the purse to say we will fund the operation of the government but we will not allocate taxpayer dollars to lawless and illegal amnesty.".TSCL has long supported adding vision, dental and hearing benefits to Medicare, as well as supporting legislation to lower prescription drug prices. We are waiting to see what the final bills look like that come out of the House and Senate before we determine what kind of endorsement to give.."Even one year of high health costs, like being hospitalized for surgery, could force most seniors to spend through their savings faster, or go into debt," says TSCL Chairman, Ed Cates. "Most retirees are dealing with fragile fiscal safety nets," he says. "What makes this finding so significant is that most Medicare health plans have annual out-of-pocket maximums that exceed ,000," Cates adds..To learn more and to participate in TSCL surveys and polls, visit..I'm 62 and my wife is 60. Last year she and I signed up for a new health plan on the federal health exchange. We qualified for lower premiums, but we still have trouble paying for all the out-of-pocket costs, because of the high deductibles. Now it's time to start all over. We're wondering if we should let our current plan automatically renew, or if we need to go through the hassle of shopping for new plans all over again..I live on a fixed income of less than 0 dollars a month. I live in public housing for seniors, and during the pandemic, I had to rely on help from my children to eat every month. I was approved for 6 a month in food stamps. A blessing! However, when you live in public housing, and then get a cost-of-living adjustment, it affects your eligibility for public benefits. In my state, the formula they use took 30% of my COLA. Then because of the COLA your food stamps can be lowered. What's the point of getting a raise? Something should change about the formula. - A.R., IL.