News

In today's environment, working together - whether that's across the aisle, across the country, or across generations - is the only way to keep our communities safe. That spirit and attitude is what America is all about, in the greatest country in the world, and that's thanks, in no small part, to the many accomplishments of our seniors..Disabled survivors benefits for a spouse and/or divorced spouse based on the deceased account..TSCL's report contains one of the only up-to-date compilations of Social Security's Earnings Suspense File data, based on government documents, and updated with the most recent Social Security Administration data annually. The data indicate that in the years immediately following the 1986 immigration amnesty, the Earnings Suspense File grew at an unprecedented pace. From 2000 to 2011 the number of mismatched wage reports doubled, jumping from 52 million reported from 1990 to 1999 to 109.7 million from 2000 to 201In addition, the amount of average annual wages represented by the reports has also grown considerably since the 1990s - about 60%, after adjusting for inflation..For a big eye-opener on how illegal immigrants can become entitled to Social Security under current law and for information on Social Security's totalization agreement with Mexico, read Social Security Benefits For Noncitizens, from the non-partisan Congressional Research Service, Publication No. RL32004..Meditation and yogNew research has found that mindfulness meditation can actually change the structure of the brain - in a very protective way. Just a couple of weeks of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction training, developed by the University of Massachusetts' Center for Mindfulness, improves concentration and attention since strong focus of attention is one of the central techniques. Meditation training has long been used as a technique for reducing blood pressure, stress and anxiety and also has helped people quit smoking by learning to "decouple" the state of craving from the act of smoking..By Representative Josh Gottheimer.To learn more about avoiding problems with your drug plan, and how to prevent unnecessary drug costs in 2012, read some of the related Frequently Asked Questions..TSCL's Senior Survey also asks questions to learn how seniors think Congress should reduce the deficit. Should Congress focus on policies that create jobs, spending cuts, revenue increases, or a combination of approaches? Major reductions to Social Security benefits and proposals to make seniors pay a bigger share of their Medicare costs form the basis of the most widely - debated deficit reduction plans. "Experts in the know say it's not a matter of 'if' Medicare and Social Security will undergo major changes, but 'when'," Hyland notes. "But seniors' answers are important because older voters could decide the next election," Hyland says. TSCL will be sharing results of the 2012 Senior Survey in meetings with Members of Congress..Will My Social Security Benefits Be Taxable?