The Senior Citizens League is continuing its campaign to push Congress for a fourth stimulus payment for seniors.
The advocacy organization sent to members of Congress a letter recently.
In the letter, the group asked the government to consider creating a targeted stimulus aimed at boosting Social Security benefits for recipients.
$1,400 is the amount the group asks the government to consider for each recipient.
“We’ve heard from thousands of them (seniors) who have exhausted their retirement savings, who have started eating just one meal a day, started cutting their pills in half because they can’t afford their prescription drugs, to list just a few of the drastic steps so many have had to take because of what inflation has done to them this year,” TSCL Chairman, Rick Delaney explained in the letter.
According to Delany, social security recipients could receive a highly beneficial extra $1,400 stimulus check that would be non-taxable income for seniors
“We believe that a special stimulus for Social Security recipients could help defray the higher costs some would face if next year’s COLA bumps them into a higher tax bracket, causing higher tax rates on their income and surcharges to their Medicare Part B premiums,” he said.
If the American citizens’ demands are met, a 5.9% increase is expected for Social Security recipients in 2022, the highest increase in almost 40 years.
About $92 will be added to a retired worker’s monthly income on average.
As a result of inflation and increases in Medicare premiums, much of the $92 is expected to be significantly eaten up anyways.
In order to buffer the impact of the COVID pandemic, three stimulus payments have already been approved.
In March 2020, a check for $1,200 was sent, followed in December by a check worth $600.
A payment of $1,400 was approved for March 2021.
Currently, It is still unclear whether Congress will pass a fourth stimulus check.
A petition has also been launched to be presented to Congress, alongside the letter, to further back the group’s claim.