Updating a blog post we brought you last week, various news outlets are reporting that President Obama is struggling to convince House Democrats to cut Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. The proposed cut, known as “chained CPI,” is a 0.3 percent reduction to the yearly cost-of-living adjustment associated with benefit payments.
According to the congressional newspaper The Hill, the White House sent an advisor to the Capitol last week to meet with House Democrats in an effort to soothe their concerns over cuts proposed in his 2014 budget. “For me, there’s no question. If this is a negotiation on budget issues, trying to deal with deficits, then Social Security has never added a single penny to the deficits of this country or to the national debt,” Representative Xavier Becerra, a California Democrat and chair of the House Democratic Caucus told The Hill.
“So if you’re talking about making cuts to seniors, to disabled folks, to children, to widows [and] widowers, to help take care of deficits, please don’t tell me to consider Social Security. The chained CPI is a cut to benefits — earned benefits — to all those folks who paid into the system,” Beccera said. A 0.3 percent reduction would amount to one month of benefits over the course of 10 years.
We will continue to update you on this story, as more news comes out. If you have questions about applying for disability benefits, contact a Tulsa Social Security Disability attorney. We offer free evaluations of your case, and you may reach us by phone at (918) 265-1404. Contact us today to learn more about your rights.
Troutman & Troutman, P.C. – Tulsa Social Security Disability lawyers