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While the odds of a fourth dunning check sent to the millions of households that received the first three are diminishing, support for a new, more targeted control is gaining popularity at the local level.
The Senior League (SCL), an organization that advocates for seniors’ rights, argues that the federal government should send $ 1,400 to social security recipients who saw their disposable income falls during the pandemic.
For many over 64 million people who receive Social Security, benefits are their only source of income. This figure represents one in six Americans and four out of five seniors.
Understand how seniors, especially those dependent on Social Security benefits, have made during the pandemic, the SCL conducted a survey in which it asked seniors to report on their spending habits and economic concerns.
The results were alarming.
During the investigation, a quarter of seniors claiming to have sought help from a food bank because they were unable to shopping for groceries as prices skyrocketed. Mary Johnson, political analyst at SCL, described it as “very disturbingAnd said it illustrated “the dire situation facing households of those who depend on social security for most of their income when food prices jump into overdrivee. “
While a Cost of living adjustment will be announced next month, with many believing it could be historic in size, advocates don’t think that will solve the problem.
A check for $ 1,400 could help cover housing, medical and nutritional costs, and give many households a chance to put their heads above the ground the water. It would also alleviate some of the stress-related pain in many older people, including twenty-five percent reported going without food so that their income lasted for the entire month.
Why is the fourth stimulus for seniors needed?
To benefit from these services, you cannot work, fixed income. During the pandemic, supply chains collapsed, causing bottlenecks limiting the supply of goods, leading to price increase.
The prices of basic commodities – food, gasoline, clothing are all considerably above their pre-pandemic levels and the elderly are starting to feel pain.
Earlier this month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released a report showing that over the past year, the Consumer Price Index for “the index of all items has increased. 5.3% before seasonal adjustment. “For food, people are on average 3 percent more than they were a year agoo, as with other goods, the trends are just as worrying.
Will the measure be taken up by Congress?
To garner support and attention, the SCL launched a petition that won over a million signatures. The petition reads: “I (and / or my spouse) want social security recipients to receive a $ 1,400.00 emergency stimulus check face this unprecedented inflationary year. Social security benefits are one of the few types of income inflation-adjusted retirement. “
He also argues that the COLA increases are not enough, stating: “In 2021, Social Security benefits increased by only 1.3% increasing the average benefit only by about $ 20 per month. But about 86% of social security recipients surveyed say their spending has increased by more than that amount. “
To date, no lawmaker has responded to the petition or mentioned the measure. While negotiations on infrastructure, the reconciliation bill and the debt ceiling suck all the air from the Capitol, it is unlikely that this measure on the legislative agenda.
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