Our nation faces an urgent crisis: as middle-class families increasingly are squeezed by stagnant wages and rising costs, the dream of a secure retirement is slipping away..That is the bad news..When food and other important costs rise faster than the Social Security COLA, that means that retirees aren't able to purchase as much with their benefits. This can lead to older consumers going without essentials. Research by Johnson has found that Social Security benefits have lost 30% of buying power since 2000. "We encourage everyone to consider who you may know that might need help with food costs," Johnson says "Perhaps you can drop off a few groceries, or share your next batch of home - made soups, chili, or stews with others you know," Johnson adds. "Mercifully, this list of prices will likely change in time, especially as we get COVID-19 under control and people return to work," Johnson says..However, because Democratic control of Congress is so narrow, especially in the Senate but also in the House, the chances of passing anything this year remain uncertain, at best. Democrats are divided in what they want to accomplish so coming up with a majority in the House has been a struggle. Without complete Democratic unity in the Senate nothing can pass there..TSCL has been fighting to stop a payroll tax cut for months because of the damage it would do to the Social Security and Medicare trust funds. Last week we contacted both Senate and House leadership in both parties to reinforce our opposition..And while Social Security benefits have flat-lined since 2010, retirees report that household expenses are still climbing - causing people to spend retirement savings more quickly and to go into debt. This year Social Security recipients received no COLA at all, but 73 percent of survey participants reported that their monthly expenses grew by more than over the past twelve months. Things aren't likely to improve soon. The Social Security Trust Fund trustees estimate that the COLA in 2017 will be just 0.2 percent - just .00 for ,000 in benefits..Mortgage rates and home costs have been at historic lows in 2012, but buying or selling a home is complicated for anyone - and seniors have special issues. Depending on your financial situation and needs, here are some points to consider:.In a separate report, the CDC responded to concerns about deaths being misattributed to Coved-1The agency took a close look at death certificates, finding that most that listed Covid-19 also named other contributing problems. They included conditions such as diabetes, known to increase the danger of severe disease, or conditions such as pneumonia that occurred in the chain of events leading to the deaths..The following Members of Congress, among many others, will be holding town hall meetings next week: Sen. Jerry Moran, Sen. Ron Wyden, Rep. Karen Bass, Rep. Diana DeGette, Rep. Scott Perry, Rep. Xavier Becerra, Rep. Thomas Massie, Rep. Tom McClintock, Rep. Chris Stewart, Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, and Rep. Tom Emmer.
