Dear John,

As someone who is currently receiving Social Security benefits or expects to receive Social Security in the near future, does this year’s 1.3% Social Security COLA — which is about an extra $20 a month for the average senior — keep up with your rising health care and housing costs?

Any senior will tell you their costs went up a lot more than 1.3% last year!

The problem is that Social Security undermeasures the inflation that older Americans face. It uses a formula that is based on the inflation for a smaller and smaller segment of workers — not retirees. So the COLA falls short nearly every time.

That’s why the National Committee is waging a battle in Congress for legislation that would base the Social Security COLA on a fully developed Consumer Price Index for the Elderly, or CPI-E, that better reflects the purchasing patterns of seniors who spend more on health care and housing.

Bottom line: For too long older Americans have been asked to pay more and make do with less — all the while their earned benefits continue to come under attack. That’s why it’s time for Congress to act in the best interests of workers and retirees by correcting the deeply flawed COLA formula and making the wealthiest Americans pay their fair into the Social Security program.

So please sign our urgent Petition and help me demonstrate to your member of Congress how strongly Social Security beneficiaries in your district and state feel about their COLA and their earned benefits. Every signed petition “raises our volume” and influence on Capitol Hill!

Sincerely,

Max Richtman
President & CEO