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The 2013 COLA will be announced October 16, 201Based on CPI-W data through June 2012, TSCL's Advisor editor Mary Johnson forecasts that the COLA payable next year will be about 1.4% - 1.5%. That would make it one of the lowest COLAs paid in the 38 years since the COLA became automatic..Will the program ban payment of benefits based on unauthorized earnings by undocumented immigrants under invalid Social Security Numbers?.The U.S. currently has 21 Social Security Totalization Agreements in effect with other nations. The agreements allow workers who split their careers working in two countries to avoid double taxation on the same work. In addition, workers are allowed to combine earnings from both countries in order to qualify for Social Security benefits under one or both systems. The agreement with Mexico presumably would have a very different impact, however, for a number of reasons, including the fact that no other totalization agreement is with a country where so many of its citizens are living and working in our country illegally..Coronavirus vaccine by this winter? Maybe, but do not get your hopes up too far..Eliminating the "cash cliff" that hits when a disabled beneficiary earns more than ,090 in any given month and is immediately cut off from benefits. The cash cliff serves as a workforce disincentive and could be addressed by simply adopting the method used in the retirement program, where monthly benefits are reduced by for every in earnings over ,310, thus providing an improved earning opportunity..In a letter of endorsement to Rep. Valadao, Ed Cates TSCL's Chairman wrote, "As you know, identity theft is a significant and growing problem, and older Americans are disproportionately affected since they rely heavily on paper mail carried by postal delivery services. Greater protection from identity theft is critical to our members and supporters nation-wide.".A family relative helps care for my son and keeps my Mom company during the day. She is paid minimum wage through a state Medicaid family caregiver program for which my son is eligible. This program is keeping both my son, and Mom out of the nursing home, and allowing me to earn a modest income just to put toward our bills..Lawmakers continued working on an omnibus spending bill this week to fund the federal government past December 11th. In addition, The Senior Citizens League saw support grow for one key bill that would give Social Security beneficiaries a cost-of-living adjustment next year..Under current law there are two sets of rules for payment of Social Security benefits to immigrants who worked illegally, depending solely on the date in which the individual was assigned their Social Security number by SSA.