4th stimulus check: Will Social Security and SSI claimants get a payment

A petition trying to convince lawmakers to send senior citizens a fourth, $1,400 stimulus check, continues to circulate.

Social Security and supplemental security income (SSI) beneficiaries had been hoping Congress will consider a fourth stimulus check.

The Senior Citizens League, a non-partisan advocacy group, has been calling for the one-time $1,400 stimulus check for Social Security claimants, who are among the hardest hit by higher prices.

The group sent a letter to Congress last year, stating the cost-of-living adjustment, combined with inflation, will hit hard for many older Americans who are on a fixed income.

The proposal came after it was heard from many seniors who shared their hardships in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Shannon Benton with the Senior Citizens League told The Sun: “We have received hundreds of emails from people concerned about making ends meet.”

“The high cost of living adjustment, for many, just exacerbated their financial woes by bumping their income above program limits to qualify for medicare savings programs and extra help.”

The Senior Citizens League isn’t the only one that is trying to get Congress’s attention.

There’s a petition on Change.org which has gotten more than 3 million signatures.

It was started by a Denver restaurant owner.

It’s asking Congress to provide monthly stimulus checks of $2,000 for adults and $1,000 for children for the “duration of the crisis.”

Will lawmakers provide a fourth stimulus check?

Dozens of lawmakers have pushed for recurring stimulus payments, but any hope was sidelined when lawmakers focused on the Build Back Better agenda.

While a scaled-down version of it was signed into law by President Joe Biden in August, it did not include stimulus check.

Congress has been focusing on other issues including abortion rights and climate change.

EVERY Republican will not go on record that they will fight for your Social Security. Here are 25 Democrats that are members of Congress who put on record that they will FIGHT for YOURS!pic.twitter.com/tXEEfVN1TL

— Peter Morley (@morethanmySLE) October 3, 2022

Currently, no talks about stimulus money are on the table.

It means Social Security claimants should not expect to get a $1,400 check.

However, it’s possible that should the US enter a recession (which is feared by many economists), some more aid could be coming on the state or local level.

Dr Tim Rosenberger Jr, rising fellow at the Hoover Institution, whose research focuses on state and local government policies, told The Sun that California, in particular, could act.

“California is sitting on a big pile of cash right now,” Dr Rosenberger said.

“Whether that continues to be true, and whether the state decides to deploy that money on some kind of UBI or [a[ one-off inflation [payment] offset is unclear.”

The Social Security Administration looks at the cost of living and makes any necessary increases to Social Security benefits.

This practice has been going on since the 1950s to offset inflation for people living on a fixed income.

The cost-of-living adjustment for 2022 increased to 5.9 percent, one of the biggest on record.

The Social Security Administration is estimating that the number could rise by another eight percent next year, and an official decision will be announced on October 13th.

That will impact 70million Americans, who will almost certainly receive a significant monthly increase in their benefits in 2023.

Based on the most recent Consumer Price Index report from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, which showed inflation in June surging 9.1% from the previous year, the Senior Citizens League said the COLA for 2023 could be about 10.5%.

Earlier this year I attended a social security hearing. It was chilling. I watched first hand how Rick Scott, Mitt Romney, and Lindsey Graham talked so casually about stripping away peoples means of living. We must ensure they don’t have the chance. #ProtectOurSocialSecurity pic.twitter.com/h0NNVfpjNh

— Olivia Julianna 🗳 (@0liviajulianna) October 3, 2022

Yet, since the COLA is backward-looking, it is a mystery whether it will keep pace with upcoming inflation in 2023, said Mary Johnson, policy analyst at the Senior Citizens League.

“COLA is based on the inflation of July, August, and September CPI data this year averaged and compared against a year ago. We don’t know yet how well that will match up with inflation in 2023,” said Ms Johnson.

Despite the increases each year, high inflation has lowered Social Security claimant’s buying power by about 40 percent since 2000.

In other Social Security news, here’s more on same-sex couples getting benefits.

Plus, we explain how to get the most out of Social Security when you retire, including ways to boost your payments.

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