Making ends meet can be a struggle those who receive Social Security Disability benefits. Recipients must meet strict income limits that prevent savings from being accumulated to be eligible for Disability benefit payments. These financial concerns can be compounded by inflation rates that drive up the cost of goods and services.
What is A COLA?
To combat the latter problem, the Social Security Administration reevaluates how disability payments are structured each year to determine if increases or decreases in payouts are needed. This is often referred to as a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA).
COLAs use a complex equation to figure the amount of benefits each disability recipient should receive based on the costs of certain items and services necessary for everyday life, including food, fuel, transportation, electricity, and housing.
What Will Next Year’s COLA Be?
Officials say that as long as costs are stable throughout the remainder of the year, disability recipients should expect to see a small increase in benefit payments beginning in Jan. 2015. According to an article from FedSmith.com, current estimates are showing next year’s COLA to be around a 1.7 percent increase in payments.
What Can You Do To Increase Benefits?
These numbers seem small, but there are some things you can do that could potentially increase the amount of benefits you receive. They include:
- Checking Benefit Statements– Mistakes are sometimes made in paperwork, and the Social Security Administration is no exception. This is why it’s vital to check benefit statements online or when they come in the mail to ensure your earned income is correct. An error with this number could significantly affect the amount of benefits you receive.
- Apply for Other Income Resources– If you receive Social Security Disability, you may also qualify for other benefits programs.
- Join Ticket To Work– The Ticket To Work program can help you transition back into a job after being disabled, while still being able to collect benefits for a disability.
