Belleville, IL (PRWEB) October 16, 2012
Social Security recipients will see a slight increase in their monthly benefits in 2013a 1.7 percent annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin January 2013, according to Allsup, a nationwide provider of Social Security disability representation and Medicare plan selection services.
The Social Security COLA is determined in part by the annual increase in the Consumer Price Index, which factors in the rate of inflation for the goods and services people buy, said Tricia Blazier, personal financial planning manager at Allsup. This modest increase is attributed to the low rates of general inflation for the cost of these items in the past year.
Third quarter findings in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) are used by the Social Security Administration to set the following years COLA, Blazier added.
Automatic benefit increases, or COLAs, have been applied to Social Security benefits every year since 1975 except for 2010 and 2011, when consumer prices did not experience typical increases, and 1983, due to an administrative change. COLA increases are applied to Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Social Security retirement and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.
SSDI is a federally mandated disability insurance program overseen by the Social Security Administration (SSA) that operates separately from the retirement and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs. SSDI provides monthly benefits to individuals who are under full retirement age (age 65 or older) and who can no longer work because of a severe disability that is expected to last for more than 12 months or is terminal. Individuals must have paid FICA taxes to be eligible.
COLA by the Numbers
The COLA increase will provide a measure of relief to people with disabilities who rely on Social Security benefits. Based on the average SSDI benefit of $ 1,111.35 in August 2012, the increase will amount to about $ 18.89 per month, or approximately $ 227 for the year.
However, those already receiving Medicare benefits may see the increase offset by higher Medicare costs in 2013. SSDI beneficiaries begin receiving Medicare 24 months after entitlement to cash SSDI benefits.
The COLA is one of the variables affecting Medicare premiums for the coming year, Blazier said. The Allsup Medicare Advisor plan selection specialists are continuously analyzing Medicare plan changes, and early reports suggest higher co-pays and more restrictions could be among the changes for 2013.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is expected to report changes to 2013 Medicare premiums in the coming days.
How to Enhance Social Security COLA
Thoroughly assessing an individuals financial situation is the first step in helping to make sure a small COLA increase can go further, Blazier advised. Priorities for consideration include: