For the 2nd year in a row, we get NO increase in our paychecks. Hmm..have you been to the grocery store lately? Have you seen the electric bills? I need AC! I need heat. Why is it that the house and senate got a raise, and yet we the most vunerable stand here empty handed? Im upset by this!

Me too Can't figure out what they are thinking. Everything goes up.

Actually the House and the Senate both voted last Spring to block their automatic pay raise this year. However, that does not excuse the fact that they did not provide for a raise in SSDI. The Social Security administration states there is no increase in the consumer price index. Really???

It's all in yer haid!!!

I was upset last year, but understood. I am furious this year. My mother has a horrible time making ends meet on her meager check. Her co pays went up, her deductible went up, groceries went up, gas went up, electric/cable/phone went up, her car is in bad need of repair, but she cannot afford a proper repair and keeps using back yard unlicensed folks to "make due" repairs. Her pharmacy co pay went from 12 to 24 dollars per generic prescription, and it was a blistering summer but she kept her ac off most of the time because she cannot afford to run it. What are they thinking?

Me? I am well managed and have a good income as well as my spouse, so I can absorb the hit, but the elderly cant! Also the last raise 3 years ago was completely eaten by the raised cost of Medicare!

and we wonder why seniors are eating cat food! My mom has stopped using the meal plan at the senior center which used to provide a hot meal at lunch time. They raised their price, and cried inflation, and now she cannot afford to eat there.

I wonder about meals on wheels. is that hard to set up?

I don't understand this. What "formula" is being used to determine that the cost of living has not gone up????? Every time I go to the grocery store it's more. Every week - unless I eliminate something from my list - it's just a little bit more. I guess I'll have to give up any and all meat and just become a vegetarian. Not that that's a bad thing. But I'd prefer to make that decision based on my own desire to do so....not my wallet's.

My mom also lives on social security (about 1000.00 per month) and a 90.00 pension check. I can't believe it is even called a pension check. She worked all of her life from the time she was 16 to her early 70s in shoe stores and department stores. Of course, it was not always full time.

Her rent is 575.00 a month. Plus she has to pay for her AARP supplemental insurance each month. She has pretty much gone through all of her meager savings since my dad died six years ago. Luckily she has 5 kids with decent jobs. We all send money each month. I send her 200.00 a month. I gave her a $50 dollar raise last fall when she did not get a cola increase. I wonder is she is expecting another raise.

I agree with you. The cost of living should have given SS a modest increase.

My thought was where/who blocked the increase. Who initiated the bill to allow the increase.

Bernie Sanders-independent from Vermont (love that guy) and Sherrod Brown Democrat from ? (I like him too) introduced the bill.

All Senate Republicans, twelve Democrats and Lieberman-the independent that caucuses with the Republicans voted against the increase.

I just googled "Social Security increase block" to see what came up as the two most popular links. Here is the first two:

http://www.elpasotimes.com/newupdated/ci_16303309
http://beavercountyblue.org/2010/10/...cial-security/

So best you can do is see how your senator voted. Calling him/her or voting him/her out of office is the only way I can see to work within our democratic system.

Politics is one thing, how it affects you is another.

Thats another thing. My sister is a deadbeat who wont help. My brothers havent spoken to my mom in years, and I am the only one in a position to help. I DO help, but feel burned by the rest of them turning their back on her. Yes she is a large PITA, but I wont allow her to starve to death. I wont allow her to eat cat food. She has SS at $845 per month. A pension of $165 per month after 30 years at General Electric. That makes $1000 even. She pays almost $100 for medicare that is 900, then she pays rent at $400 per month. Thats $500 left. Her phone/cable bill is $99 so thats $400 left. Groceries are about $200 a month (I would never make it) and that leaves $200. Her meds cost her about $275 per month. Now we are under by $75! She hasnt paid the electric bill, nor coughed up a co pay to see the MD or the dentist or eye glasses, or clothes, or gas to get back and forth, or taxes or or insurance! She sits and cries on the 3rd of every month when she finally gets that check, and then realizes its gone before it ever hit the door.

it just makes me mad.

wow Dej. Stuck between a rock and a hard place.