All Posts in "Month: May 2018"

On Memorial Day, we honor service members who have given their lives for our nation. Social Security acknowledges the heroism and courage of our military service members, and we remember those who have given their lives to protect our country. Part of how we honor these heroes is the way we provide Social Security benefits.

The loss of a family member is difficult for anyone. Social Security helps by providing benefits to protect service members’ dependents. Widows, widowers, and their dependent children may be eligible for Social Security survivors benefits. You can learn more about Social Security survivors benefits at www.socialsecurity.gov/survivors.

It’s also important to recognize those service members who are still with us, especially those who have been wounded. Just as they served us, we have the obligation to serve them. Social Security has benefits to protect veterans when an injury prevents them from returning to active duty or performing other work.

Wounded military service members can also receive expedited processing of their Social Security disability claims. For example, Social Security will provide expedited processing of disability claims filed by veterans who have a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) compensation rating of 100 percent permanent and total (P&T). The VA and Social Security each have disability programs. You may find that you qualify for disability benefits through one program but not the other, or that you qualify for both. Depending on the situation, some family members of military personnel, including dependent children and, in some cases, spouses, may be eligible to receive Social Security benefits. You can get answers to commonly asked questions and find useful information about the application process at www.socialsecurity.gov/woundedwarriors.

Service members can also receive Social Security in addition to military retirement benefits. The good news is that your military retirement benefit generally does not reduce your Social Security retirement benefit. Learn more about Social Security retirement benefits at www.socialsecurity.gov/retirement. You may also want to visit the Military Service page available at www.socialsecurity.gov/planners/retire/veterans.html.

Service members are also eligible for Medicare at age 65. If you have health insurance from the VA or under the TRICARE or CHAMPVA programs, your health benefits may change, or end, when you become eligible for Medicare. Learn more about Medicare benefits at www.socialsecurity.gov/medicare.

In acknowledgment of those who died for our country, those who served, and those who serve today, we at Social Security honor and thank you.

 

Volunteers tend to headstones at the Washington Soldiers Home cemetery in Orting.

 

Contributing Author by — May 24, 2018 in News

 

Hawthorn Retirement Group, which has senior living communities throughout the U.S. and in Canada, now has its first one in the Puget Sound region.

Julian Estates, located in the South Hill area of Puyallup at 13305 94th Ave. E., offers studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units. Amenities include 24-hour emergency pull cords, cable television, dining services (three chef-prepared meals daily and an all-day coffee and snack bar), a theater and big-screen TV room, barber and beauty shops, a chapel, guest rooms, a library, and exercise, craft and card rooms.

Additional information is available at 253-830-2620 and www.seniorlivinginstyle.com/Puyallup.

Hawthorn Retirement Group formed in 2000 to develop and operate retirement, assisted-living and memory care communities. Julian Estates is the company’s second development in Washington. The other is Springwood Landing in Vancouver, where Hawthorn is based.

Other Hawthorn communities are in Oregon (five), Idaho (one), California (seven), Arizona (four), Colorado (one), New Mexico (two), Kansas (one), Texas (five), Indiana (one), Ohio (four), Pennsylvania (two), Maine (three), Massachusetts (five), Virginia (two), North Carolina (eight), South Carolina (one), Georgia (four) and Florida (six), plus Saskatchewan (one) and Ontario (four) in Canada.

srmedia by — May 17, 2018 in Personal Finance/Consumers

About 72,000 retired Washington public employees and teachers will receive a cost-of-living adjustment in their pensions as a result of new state legislation.

Senate Bill 6340, approved by the Legislature and signed into law March 21 by Governor Jay Inslee, gives retirees in Plan 1 of the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) or the Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) a one-time, 1.5 percent cost of living adjustment (COLA) effective July 1.

The average yearly benefit for a retired public employee in Plan 1 is approximately $24,576; for a retired teacher, it’s about $26,136. Retirees with benefits at those levels will see an increase of about $31 to $33 per month, officials said, while increases for retirees with above-average benefit levels are capped at $62.50 per month.

“Many of these public employees and teachers have been retired since the 1980s, but their benefits have been frozen, even as the cost of living has gone up,” said state Sen. Steve Conway, a Tacoma Democrat who sponsored SB 6340. “We shouldn’t leave behind these people who dedicated decades of their lives to serving our state and our children.”

Unlike other state retirement plans, Plan 1 of PERS and TRS, which stopped enrolling new participants in October 1977, provides no cost-of-living increase. In recent years, retirees on the plans saw their purchasing power decrease while healthcare costs increased, Conway said.

srmedia by — May 17, 2018 in News

Washingtonians in King County, Pierce County and elsewhere can join more than 100,000 older adults across the U.S. participating in wellness-related events during the 25th annual National Senior Health and Fitness Day on May 30.

Sponsored by Humana and Silver Sneakers, the occasion promotes regular physical activity for older adults while showcase what local organizations are doing in their communities to help improve the health of seniors.

Throughout Washington, National Senior Health and Fitness Day will be observed with activities at senior centers, retirement communities, and various health organizations, among others. At some locations, health fairs, fitness walks, exercise demonstrations, health screenings and presentations by health and fitness experts are planned.For example, Puyallup Activity Center is inviting seniors to visit its exercise room, learn about fitness programs there, and participate in a walk.

More information about events in local communities and nationally is available at info@fitnessday.com.

Catherine Field, a regional president for Humana, said the care delivery and health plan company’s sponsorship of National Senior Health and Fitness Day “is an example of our commitment to improving the health of communities we serve . We do this by partnering with likeminded, health-inspired people and organizations that share our values and want to make a real difference.”

SilverSneakers, the other sponsor, is a fitness program with group classes for older adults and is available to Medicare beneficiaries through many Medicare Advantage plans, Medicare Supplement carriers and group retiree plans.

srmedia by — May 17, 2018 in Health & Fitness