News

  • Rapid Growth In Number Of Seniors Who Pay Tax On Social Security Benefits

    Sen. Mazie Hirono (HI) introduced S. 960 on April 15, 201It has since been referred to the Committee on Finance. .Earnings are vital to the amount you receive because your wages form the basis of your Social Security benefit. SSA calculates your benefit based on your highest 35 years of earnings. When you sign up for a "my Social Security" account, the estimate will list every year of earnings on file. Count them up! Ideally you will have more than 35 years of earnings. But that may be hard for some workers to achieve, particularly those who spent time at home raising a family or providing caregiving for older family members (often women). .What Are The Ten Fastest Growing Senior Costs? … Continued

  • Where We Stand On The Social Security Notch

    This week, lawmakers in the House remained in their home districts to continue the summer recess. They are expected to return to Capitol Hill on Tuesday, September 4th. In the meantime, many Members of Congress will be attending local events and hosting town hall meetings in their home districts. The Senior Citizens League encourages its supporters to attend these events and to ask important questions of their elected officials, like the following five... .Up to 85 percent of Social Security benefits can be subject to taxation if an individual has a combined income of ,000 and married couples filing jointly have a combined income of ,000. Had income thresholds been adjusted for inflation, they would be about ,902 for individuals and ,515 for joint filers in 2020. "Combined income" is determined by adding one's adjusted gross income, plus any tax - free interest income, and one - half of Social Security benefits. .Affordable Care Act – Monitor the continued implementation of the law as it affects older Americans. … Continued

The Safe and Affordable Drugs from Canada Act (S. 61), introduced by Senators Chuck Grassley (IA) and Amy Klobuchar (MN), would allow individuals to safely import prescriptions from approved pharmacies in Canada. .TSCL supports H.R. 973 and H.R. 1391 since both would modernize the Social Security program in a responsible way. We were pleased to see them gain critical support this week. .This week, lawmakers returned to Capitol Hill from the holiday recess and one Senate Subcommittee held a hearing to discuss a paid family leave proposal that would negatively impact the future of the Social Security program. In addition, The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) saw support grow for three key bills. .As a result of the new rule, consumers will have to pay more for their prescriptions, as a growing number of people rely on the programs offered by drug makers to lower their copays. .This is all good news. In addition to the cost of pharmaceuticals, the simple availability of them is crucial for seniors, especially during times like this. .Two new pieces of legislation in addition to H.R.1565 (see above) have been introduced to stop these kinds of scams. .Sources: "How Much ‘Skin In The Game' Is Enough?", Kaiser Family Foundations, June 201"Measuring Price Change For Medical Care In The CPI," Bureau of Labor Statistics, accessed March 3, 2012. .This week, in elections nation-wide, Republicans in the House and Senate held on to their majorities, and President-elect Donald Trump defied odds to win the White House. .Key Bill Gains Cosponsor