Retiree checks to rise modestly amid push to expand benefits
(WorldNews Politics)

WASHINGTON (AP) - Millions of retirees will get a modest 1.6% cost-of-living increase from Social Security in 2020, an uptick with potential political consequences in an election year when Democrats are pushing more generous inflation protection. The increase amounts to $24 a month for the average retired worker, according to estimates released Thursday by the Social Security Administration. Following a significant boost this year, the cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, for 2020 reverts to its pattern of moderate gains. But seniors and advocates complain that the inflation yardstick used to determine the annual adjustment doesn`t adequately reflect their costs, mainly for health care. The...