But she isn’t certain that it will be enough, even with her Social Security benefits. Charles Blahous, a former Social Security trustee, said the annual COLA announcement is a reminder about the program's stressed finances. Mary Johnson, Social Security and Medicare policy analyst at the Senior Citizens League, says her organization supports the Social Security Administration using whichever index is higher to best protect older people from inflation. The maximum amount of earnings subject to Social Security payroll taxes for 2023 is $160,200, up from $147,000 in 2022. There have been legislative proposals to shore up Social Security, but they have not made it past committee hearings.

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Persons: Karla Abbott, she’s, Charles Blahous, Mary Johnson, Kevin McCarthy, Abbott, Alfred Mason, Mason, Jo Ann Jenkins, ” Johnson, “, ” Organizations: WASHINGTON, Social Security, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Senior Citizens League, Social Security Administration, Security, Social, AARP, Senior Citizens Locations: Sioux Falls , South Dakota, Washington, Louisiana