social security raise to be among lowest in years

[xchrom]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SOCIAL_SECURITY_COLA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-10-13-08-30-59

WASHINGTON (AP) -- For the second straight year, millions of Social Security recipients, disabled veterans and federal retirees can expect historically small increases in their benefits come January.

Preliminary figures suggest a benefit increase of roughly 1.5 percent, which would be among the smallest since automatic increases were adopted in 1975, according to an analysis by The Associated Press.

Next year's raise will be small because consumer prices, as measured by the government, haven't gone up much in the past year.

The exact size of the cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, won't be known until the Labor Department releases the inflation report for September. That was supposed to happen Wednesday, but the report was delayed indefinitely because of the partial government shutdown.

[katmondoo]

1. Better than nothing, I guess

[a kennedy]

7. I guess, but then they raise the medicare premium to offset any increase anyway.

Never get even a bit ahead, always treading water or losing ground. Oh yah, some middle class lifestyle for us. NOT.

[hobbit709]

2. "consumer prices, as measured by the government, haven't gone up much in the past year."

That right there is part of the problem. The things I consume, like food, gas, utilities have certainly climbed but those don't count. My SS raise last Jan. was a whopping $15 a month.

[durablend]

4. Clearly you're getting too much

Time to throw some chained CPI into the mix!

[RebelOne]

6. I don't even remember getting a SS raise in Jan.

I guess because it was so small that I didn't notice it.

Haven't those idiots said the prices have not gone up much in the past year been in the supermarkets lately? Every time I go shopping the prices on items I usually buy have jumped higher.

[a kennedy]

8. If you're receiving Medicare you wouldn't have noticed an increase.....as the premium went up

for Medicare to just about the cost of living increase.

[durablend]

3. Has the cost of a Rolls, a yacht or a Rolex gone up much last year?

If not, there's your answer!

[Worried senior]

5. The increase

in our Part D plan is much more than the little raise we're going to get. Only thing we can cut back on is food, lots to look forward to.

[Faryn Balyncd]

9. As everyone can see, the CPI has been rigged since the 1990's to grossly UNDERstate inflation...

"chained CPI" would just add insult to injury.

[leftstreet]

10. DURec