National Disability Law Firm Heard & Smith Says SSA’s 2015 Cost of Living Adjustment is too Low
San Antonio, TX (PRWEB) November 26, 2014 -- Heard & Smith, a national disability law firm that concentrates on the disabled and the injured, is commenting on the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) decision to peg the 2015 COLA adjustment for Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits at just 1.7%.
In a press release issued in late October, the SSA noted that its COLA is based on the Consumer Price Index as determined by the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics -- a baseline that Joshua C. Eyestone, an SSD lawyer in Heard & Smith’s Social Security Disability practice group, believes is fundamentally wrong.
“The index that the SSA uses to determine its annual COLA is based on data derived from urban wage earners and clerical workers,” noted Mr. Eyestone. “However, compared to this group of workers, many people receiving SSD benefits face disproportionately higher costs of living and medical expenses, coupled with diminished earning power. As a result, they need much more than 1.7% to maintain their standard of living.”
Added Mr. Eyestone: “Frankly, while a COLA increase is a step in the right direction, the SSA should base its decisions on better, more realistic data. Otherwise the hard working Americans who paid into the SSD system are getting short-changed when they need it most, which is fundamentally wrong.”
For inquiries, contact Joshua C. Eyestone at jeyestone(AT)heardandsmith.com or 210-820-3737.
About Heard & Smith L.L.P.
Heard & Smith helps thousands of clients each year get the disability benefits they are entitled to. The national disability law practice group at Heard & Smith represents deserving clients in all 50 states. Heard & Smith specializes in representing the disabled in Social Security Disability (SSD), and Veterans (VA) Disability matters.
Learn more at http://www.heardandsmith.com/
Joshua Eyestone, Heard & Smith, http://www.heardandsmith.com/ssdi_ssi.html, +1 (210) 477-5516, [email protected]
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