Congresswoman Kathy Castor pledged today before a group of retirees at River Apartments in Tampa that she would push for a boost in Social Security payments to counterbalance the flat cost-of-living increase this year. Castor, a member of the Congressional Task Force on Seniors, is cosponsoring legislation that would give a one-time additional Social Security check to seniors this year. The U.S. House plans to take up this legislation as one of its first items of business when it returns to session in November.

The Social Security Administration has announced that monthly benefit checks will not include a COLA based on inflation calculations by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Seniors Protection Act, which Castor is cosponsoring, will provide a $250 payment to about 54 million Americans.

“The COLA formula does not accurately account for rising expenses for our older neighbors,” Castor said. “We must act quickly to enact a boost to seniors who receive Social Security to help them make ends meet during this tough time.

 “Social security is a fundamental promise to Americans that no matter what happens in our lives, we will have security and stability,” Castor said. “We must not let our seniors down.”

Six in 10 seniors rely on Social Security for more than half of their income, and about a third of retirees have little other than Social Security on which to live. Approximately 3.7 million Floridians receive Social Security, including about 105,000 in the area represented by Castor. Nationwide, more than 50 million Americans receive Social Security benefits. The average monthly retirement benefit is $1,157.

Castor also talked to seniors about the $250 check from Medicare many of them received as a result of the Affordable Care Act. Many seniors fall into the doughnut hole when trying to cover the costs of their prescription drugs. More than 90,000 seniors in our local community rely on Medicare and many fall into the doughnut hole, finding themselves unable to pay for their medications out-of-pocket.  The Affordable Care Act has allowed more than 65,000 Floridians, from June to August, to receive a $250 check to help cover their drugs. It also is providing other costs savings to seniors, such as free preventive care services, such as mammograms, colon cancer screenings and free annual check-ups.