News

Congress has only two ways to address long-term funding fixes for Social Security - benefit cuts and tax revenue increases. TSCL surveys indicate that people who receive Social Security don't support most benefit cuts, and feel that the amount that beneficiaries receive isn't adequate to live on over longer retirements. The average benefit received by disabled workers is lower than the average retirement benefit - ,145 vs. ,235..If the Supreme Court rules against the federal government, that could have a devastating impact on the new program. The case centers on whether people who enrolled through the federal exchange can legally receive subsidies to lower their monthly premiums..Congressional aides have said that the conference co-chairs, Sen. Patty Murray and Rep. Paul Ryan, are "talking almost every day," but a partisan divide over potential "sequester" offsets seems to have halted progress. Half of the conferees hope to replace a portion of the "sequester" with revenue increases, while the other half would like to enact cuts to mandatory programs, including Social Security and Medicare. At this point, conferees on both sides are remaining steadfast in their positions..Although the bill applies to children, TSCL is concerned that the DREAM Act is a back-door approach to a much wider amnesty that would have an enormous impact on the financial solvency of Social Security and Medicare. Under current policy, immigrants who become U. S. citizens, as young people under the DREAM Act would, may file a petition for green cards to allow their immediate relatives to legally immigrate to the U.S. Relatives who qualify immediately for a visa are spouses, unmarried children under the age of 21, and parents. Once the parents receive the green cards they can legally apply for work authorization, and renew it annually..Want to join the effort for an Emergency COLA? Sign a petition today!.If your brother was a victim of auto dealer fraud, you may want to look for an attorney who would be willing to work on a contingency basis. If fraud is proven, your brother may be allowed to surrender the unwanted vehicle and the court may order a refund of all payments made toward purchase in addition to canceling any outstanding loan balances. If your brother will have trouble affording an attorney, contact your local Area Agency on Aging or senior services department and ask about legal aid services in your area..Covid-19 displaced suicide as one of the top 10 causes of death..For the past several years, Social Security's Disability Insurance program has been facing financing challenges. In the fall of 2015, lawmakers took action to prevent a 19% benefit cut that would have affected 10 million disabled enrollees and dependents, extending the program's solvency past 201However, more work remains before the program can be considered financially stable. In September, lawmakers on the House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee took the first steps toward improving the program's solvency when they held a hearing to discuss its future..Women who receive Social Security benefits outnumber men who do by almost 18%, according to data from the Social Security Administration. While women tend to outlive men, the average benefit received by women is 26% lower than the average benefit received by men.