Parkersburg News and Sentinel - Congressmen Praise Social Security Change

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Congressmen from West Virginia Wednesday praised a 3.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security recipients.

The adjustment beginning next year will raise the average benefit by $516 to $14,748 a year and will affect 60 million Americans on Social Security, Sen. Jay Rockefeller said.

"Seniors on fixed incomes face many growing expenses and this Social Security increase will help enable them to pay for medical expenses, prescription drugs, gas and grocery bills," he said.

Rockefeller also said he is supporting a bill to increase payments for veterans' compensation to the same amount of the seniors' increase.

The adjustment is based on inflation and is the first increase since 2009.

Rep. David McKinley, R-W.Va., supports the increase, but the formula needs a long-term fix.

"Today's news is a breath of fresh air for West Virginia seniors who have been having to do more with less. The cost-of-living for seniors has greatly increased but their benefits have not reflected that reality. Due to rapidly-rising prescription drug premiums, which are often taken out of Social Security checks, some seniors have been forced to take a 'pay cut.'" he said. "That's just wrong this is our greatest generation and we need to continue the fight to protect their benefits and ensure they are able to survive."

Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said seniors are hit the hardest in tough economic times.

"Many of our parents and grandparents live on fixed incomes and do not have the ability to adjust their budgets to pay for higher prices at the gas pump and the grocery store," she said.

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., was also pleased to comment on the increase.

"Our seniors have gone without a COLA increase for nearly three years, and we can't continue taking a hit-or-miss approach to their daily needs," he said. "It's time to re-evaluate this system, and I support a recalculation of the COLA formula to make sure it reflects the reality of the cost of living today."

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