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Insider’s Report: COVID-19 Relief Is on the Way
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The COVID-19 relief bill passed by Congress and sent to President Biden's desk for his signature will help give seniors and other struggling Americans the relief they so badly need.
Under the COVID relief act, millions of Social Security beneficiaries will be eligible for $1,400 stimulus payments to keep their heads above water financially. The legislation also contains crucial new funds for vaccinations, testing and safer nursing home care that is so crucial to older Americans.
In addition, the legislation includes other meaningful improvements to programs relied on by millions of older Americans, including:
- $47.8 billion for Coronavirus testing and mitigation;
- $12.5 billion for Medicaid Home- and Community-Based long-term care;
- $4.5 billion for LIHEAP, the federally-funded program that helps keep low-income seniors’ homes heated and cooled;
- $1.4 billion to strengthen critical programs for older adults — including nutrition assistance, vaccination support, and caregiver support — under the Older Americans Act (OAA) and the Elder Justice Act.
The passage of this landmark legislation will be a great moment for all Americans who have struggled to survive and stay financially afloat during this pandemic, especially seniors, people with disabilities and their families.
As a reminder, the National Committee played a significant role last year in getting Congress to automatically issue economic relief payments to Social Security beneficiaries. And we fought to ensure seniors were included in this new round of COVID-19 economic relief, while ensuring lawmakers included important measures to strengthen the programs that older Americans rely on to keep them safe and healthy.
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| What Would Boosting the Minimum Wage Mean for Seniors? |
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The National Committee endorses an increase in the minimum wage to $15.00 per hour to assist seniors, their families and the overall economy as well as reduce the unacceptable income divide in our nation. According to a recent report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), an increase in the minimum wage would boost average Social Security benefits and Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLAs). Additionally, CBO predicts that revenues from payroll taxes for Social Security are expected to increase by $11.8 billion from 2021 to 2026.
The $15 minimum wage is not simply an economic issue. It is a moral imperative for the nation to stand behind the tenet that people who work hard and play by the rules should be able to support themselves. The increase will begin to address the unacceptable income divide in this country.
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| Ask Web |
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Our resident Social Security expert, Webster Phillips — a Senior Policy Analyst for the National Committee and a 31-year veteran at the Social Security Administration — is here to answer your questions about Social Security.
You can either search our archives for valuable advice on a broad range of concerns or submit your question here.
This week's question is: I will be turning age 65 soon and I want to apply for my Social Security benefits. How do I do this, and what papers will I need?
Click here to read the answer.
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| Take Our Poll |
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Should Congress raise the minimum wage from the current $7.25 per hour, which has not been increased since 2007, to $15 per hour by 2025?
Take our poll now!
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Legislation
Learn more about the bills we support and oppose in the current session of Congress. |
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Donate Now
Your support sustains our campaigns in Washington to protect and strengthen Social Security and Medicare. |
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Coronavirus
Find valuable information, essential tips and warnings about COVID-19-related scams. |
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| Covid Relief Package is a Plus for Seniors |
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The House-passed COVID relief legislation will "help older people on fixed incomes struggling to stay financially afloat during the pandemic," National Committee president & CEO Max Richtman tells Iowa radio listeners. (February 17, 2021, KOTH, Radio interview with NCPSSM President & CEO Max Richtman)
Listen Here →
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| Romney's TRUST Act is a Trojan Horse to cut seniors' benefits |
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An insidious piece of legislation affecting Social Security and Medicare, Sen. Mitt Romney’s (R-Utah) TRUST Act, is nothing more than a back-door mechanism for enacting cuts to seniors’ earned benefits that wouldn’t otherwise be possible through the normal legislative process. (March 4, 2021, The Hill, Written by former Senator Tom Harkin (IA) and NCPSSM President & CEO Max Richtman)
Read More →
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| Becerra: Eminently Qualified |
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National Committee president and CEO Max Richtman tells radio host Lars Larson that President Biden's pick for HHS Secretary has what it takes to lead the agency. Xavier Becerra has been an effective administrator and advocate, Richtman says. (February 22, 2021, Lars Larson Show, Radio interview with NCPSSM President & CEO Max Richtman)
Listen Here →
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| The unkindest cut: Decline in staff equals decline in Social Security service |
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Imagine that you owned a successful business that was gaining 10,000 new customers every single day. All the market projections said that trend would continue for many more years. Would you be hiring new staff and opening new outlets to keep up with the demand? Or would you be cutting back on employees, reducing office hours and closing facilities? (February 28, 2021, The Dallas Morning News, Tom Margenau)
Read More →
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