It looks like the proposed $250 Social Security stimulus check which was announced by President Obama late last year is unfortunately not going to be sent out.
On March 3, the Senate voted down the proposal for a $250 bonus check by a score of 50-47.
The reason that the plan was voted down was because of the cost. It was estimated that sending out the $250 checks to Social Security recipients as well as SSI recipients would have cost about $14 billion dollars. Considering the current deficit is at record levels, the Senate decided that some cuts had to be made. The other reason is that the Social Security payments are indexed to inflation which is why they were increase 5.8% last year, so to give a bonus when inflation is low, defeats the purpose of the indexing.
Just last week Senator Bunning held up another important vote on extending long term unemployment benefits in a rather bizarre one-man show of fiscal restraint.
Will Social Security Payments Be Paid If United States Defaults On Debt?
The government is on pace to run up a record $1.6 trillion deficit this year because of various stimulus spending including $66 billion dollars on various unemployment extension benefits.
The $250 Social Security payment was being considered to make up for the fact that the Social Security payout did not have a cost-of-living increase this year because of low inflation.
The $250 check was paid out last year to Social Security recipients, SSI recipients and a few other groups as well.
Is there any chance of another $250 stimulus check this year?
This Bill is dead in the water but that doesn’t mean a similar Bill couldn’t be created. I personally doubt that there will be another check this year but if the cost-of-living increase for 2011 is zero or close to zero percent then I think the odds would be quite good that another $250 bonus check would be approved.
How many senior citizens does this effect?
There are about 55 million senior citizens receiving Social Security who would have been eligible for this bonus payment. Although the check amount is not huge, it will be interesting to see what effect, if any this will have on future elections. It was widely expected that this stimulus payment would be paid out by March of 2010 and there will be an awful lot of disappointed, and possibly angry senior citizens who might be thinking that they have been short-changed $250 by this vote.
67 replies on “Senate Rejects $250 Stimulus Check For Social Security And SSI”
I need to know my ssi stimulus 250.00 when will send us mail or send my acct in soc sec this month ? I not seem hear from them call us want to know
They voted it down shirley, lena. We will not be getting anything. But, the theives gave themselves thousands in raises. Vote all the lying thieves out of office. They all belong behind bars.
i am disable as well as many others and the extra 250.00 stimulas check would help a lot of people pay they biils and put food on there tables thank you for listening to my thoughts.
Yes they voted Nay. The party of NO. Only 1 (R) voted yea-Snowe.
Well don’t worry about it anyway because while the Senate is sitting back eating Lobster and Steak and giving themselves there own raises our Seniors will just have to just keep eating cat food to make end’s meet there used to it anyway, They used to have to eat sardines, tuna and cracker’s but the price on them items went so high they no longer can afford them so cat food it is but the price of cat food is going up so I guess they will just have to starve as far as the Senate is concerned the seniors have no right’s at all and this is a shame to pick on the weak it’s not there fault they got old but they are the one’s that built this dam country instead of spending our money on war’s and giving our money to feed other country’s and building Monument’s to honor the dead that served this country how about honoring the ones that are still here and feed them. This Senate is crooked they are no good and I just pray that Obama had nothing to do with the Senate turning down this so needed Stimulus for our STARVING SENIOR’S, I hope the president read’s this but he probably won’t
MR. PRESIDENT you promised this package to our SENIOR’S , These senior’s voted for you because you said you were a man of your word Please somehow you have to come through for these SENIOR’S. Please do not give them false hope’s and lie’s, THANK YOU.
Not only does this hurt ederly people it also hurts millions on disability aswell as not getting a raise for this year and next..I voted for Obama but it seems he is robbing peter to pay pall at every turn…The poorest of the poor voted him in in hopes he was our so called saviour and the poorest of the poor are going to vote him right back out when the time come…Way to go democrats you have done nothing but help the rich spend trillions on stimulus payments for baks and corporations well thats all good for now but if people don’t have money to spend on the products its only a temp fix…And I thought the republicans were bad man was I and billions ever fooled and decieved…BYE BYE Obabma
I don’t understand why if they don’t give us a cola then why in the world would that reject giving us $250? Something has to give! It needs to be either one or the other here!
The only option I can think of is to create more jobs for the disabled and elderly that we can do from home.
SOMETHING MUST BE DONE!
I watched the President tell an 83 yr. old woman in Ohio on TV that the seniors and disabled would be getting this money. I hope he can keep his word regardless of the un-caring senators who only care for themselves.
Cost?…………………How much did the raises given members of Congress cost?
*edit-continue* and then with the pittance they agreed upon. Shame on those that voted against it, for I hope they never find themselves in such a situation.
For everyone posting here who blames Obama for not passing the Social Security stimulus check…it was the Republican party that voted this down in the Senate. Obama does not have a vote in the Senate. Only one Republican voted for the Social Security stimulus. One. Who do you think
needs to be voted out of office. A President who supported this payment or the Republicans who voted it down?
They say the cost of living is down thats bull, in just 2 days here in alabama gas went up from 2.51 to 2.69 and still climbing. We live on a fixed income and the cost of food and fuel and elec is out of this world, we all needed that cost of living raise or even the stimulus check as well. Obama sucks big time they promise you things but when it comes down to the brass tax they all let you down
I think the Senate should be ashamed. Try making it on disability. I don’t want to be on it !
I want all you people to know, it was the republicans who voted this down.President Obama made promises he could not keep because the republicans want let him.They want him to do bad.I am afraid our country has gone to pot because of the rich,wich are mostly republican.I don’t see one single rich person going to heaven,because the bible says if you see a brother or sister in need,and not open up your bowels of compassion to them,then HOW can the love of God be in you?The republicans have no compassion!What do you say we vote them all out the next election.We pay for them to have the best insurance,and they fight tooth and toenail to keep us from having insurance worth a nickel.They take money from lobbist,they give themselves big raises,so let’s vote them out.Hip,Hip,Hooray
I too am disappointed and angry that they voted down the $250 stimulus. I am disabled and have a son in college and was counting on that money. I hope they somehow reverse this decision soon. We didn’t get the cost of living increase, there should be no question that we get the $250. Can’t President Obama override this decision? And, no it isn’t fair that Congress can give themselves raises, and give money to other countries, but they are ignoring the people in this country who really need the money to get by.
I’m so angry. The replublicans are not only the party of “NO” to President Obama, but the party of “NO” to all disables and veretans. They only care about themselves. The 250.00 would have been a great help for me. So, the people who want to blame the President, don’t blame him, blame your replublicans. All they know is no, no, no, no.
It behooves me to know seniors, vets and disabled will not get a small check which means income security comes now and again. I am watching to see when the senate/congress will apply the same “no rise in cost of living” rule to themselves and vote down their pay raise. I agree with Verne…remember those who said “NO” to us at the “VOTING” booth when you are “BEGGED” for your vote and support.
A CHANGE THEY WILL BE FORCED TO BELIEVE IN !
I want just one republican, to ask for my vote.He or she will be sorry.Remember people, Senator Snow was the only republican to vote yes for the $250.00 surplus.They said the money would come from surplus money that hadn’t been used,and now they are doing what republicans do so well,THEY LIE!LIE!LIE!Jessie Ventura has them pegged just right.Read his book,you might be surprised.
Why did they send a letter last fall telling you , you would get the check in March what are they liars?? A lot of people where counting that just to catch up with their over inlflated heat and electric bills They should be Obama should be a shamed of his self and especially the senators living ther high life styles while the poor get poorer.
I think this is pitiful. My husband and I barely make it. We have to go to food banks to get food to last us through the month, because we only have $100.00 to buy groceries with. We have no extras at all. We are having to let our home go and move into a cheaper rental because of our SSI not being enough to pay our bills. I guarantee the president and other government officials do not have to go beg for outdated food to eat each month. This is horrible how they are treating us. I would like to enjoy meat with a meal, instead of macaroni and cheese and a vegatable all the time. It would be nice to have a pop or a cup of coffee instead of water all the time. This SUCKS
JUST REMEMBER!THE NEXT ELECTION,LETS VOTE THE REPUBLICANS OUT.LETS GET RID OF THE LIEING CHEATING REPUBLICANS.THEY ARE NOTHING BUT WARMONGERS,AND THEY ARE ALWAYS TRYING TO SCARE SOMEONE,ESPECIALLY THE ELDERLY.WELL,THEY DON’T SCARE THIS OLD BIRD!!!!!!!!!
Thank you, U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe R-Maine, for being the only Republican with the integrity to vote against your own party and for standing up for the disabled and elderly population who needs the $250.00 stimulus check. Senator Snowe, you deserve to be voted back into office in the next election, while the rest of the Republican’s who voted against the stimulus need to voted out of office.
$250 may be a fancy lunch or dinner for the rich Senator’s who voted it down, while giving themselves a raise, however for most of us on a fixed income its a payment for an unexpected bill, having our homes or autos repaired and/or buying enough food to last the month until we receive our next monthly check.
Thank you again, U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe R-Maine, just for being on our side.
The Cost of living has gone up a 1000% compared to what my income is! How can certain Senators justify not allowing Seniors such as my self who exist on a below minimum wage Social Security Income,
approx. $30 dollar a day from disability, while Congress/Senate approve raises for themselves, get a small $250 dollar stimulus?
It’s criminal and heartless and makes me feel like I don’t exist in the scheme of things that should be a priority on the minds of our elected
Officials!
No, $250 isn’t much, but for retired seniors, disabled, and veterans, it’s money that for once can be used to buy things we don’t normally indulge in, such as gas in our vehicles and having the cupboards full with enough food for a while! Or for the disabled parent, being able to buy our children a couple NEW pairs of shoes! What’s wrong with these people?? Voting it down! It’s would be laughable, if it wasn’t so damn sad!! Every single one of our so called public officials, who voted this down, should be forced to live on what we are forced to live on for ONE YEAR!!!! It’s TIME, we all stand up, and let those SOB’s know we’re done putting up with their higher than mighty attitude!!!! I for one am contacting every official possible, and putting my 2 cents in!! After all, we were just like them once, maybe not crooked, but before we became old, disabled and could no longer protect our country, we all held jobs and brought home a pay check!!!! Just because our circumstances put us where we are, makes us no less intitled to live the American dream!! I personally am SICK OF THIS!!!! If your like me, besides the stress of my disability, I am forced to stuggle every single day financially! It’s just not right!!! Now what’s $250, to me it’s a lot!!!!
I am disabled & I’m on Soc. Sec. This year we DID NOT get a cost of living rase even though the cost of living continues to rise.
The Presiden put forth this bill to slightly off-set the lack of the cost of living rase.
Now the Senate tossed the bill claming it would rase the National Debit. But the weren’t worried about the National Debit when they recived their raises this year.
Those of us reciving Soc. Sec. live on just enough to get by & sometimes we can’t make it from the one check to the next because the cost of living continues to rise.
It would have beem nice to get the $250.00 check, maybe we could aford to buy something we NEED & can’t afford to buy it on our monthly check.
There is only one thing we can do.
Everybody on Soc. Sec. & those who know how hard it is on them need to say it with our votes at the next election.
Vote the ones out that voted agenst this bill.
There is no rise in the cost live? Who is the government kidding? Electric rates in Ohio have jumped. School boards continue to put levies on the ballot, and some do get passed. Where does this money to pay these added expenses come from? it comes from the pittance of an already what amounts to way below minimum wage social security check. My prescription co-pay went from $1.10 to $2.50 a month. Isn’t that an increase in my cost of living? I guess I could just go off my meds, end up in the hospital and just let medicare pay the bill. $250.00 may not seem like alot, but when you are trying to live on $865.00 a month it is.
Well Debbie M. did you see John Boehner,your representive, from Ohio tonight cursing in front of everyone,about the healthcare vote?If I had to vote for him,I would never vote again.It was plain to see all the republicans were voting no,soooooooo, theres your sign Ohio,vote that sucker out, when he comes up for re-election.We may be elderly,BUT we still have the right to vote.More power to you!!
Mary
I am not a senior but I do support this stimulus. My grandmother was really hoping for this money and I think it’s the right thing to do.
I want to start an online petition for it but I am not sure how many signatures we could get. We would need at least 1,000 online signatures to get attention.
I was hoping that there was someone that had already started a petition and when I searched for “$250 stimulus payment for seniors” it pulled up a result that 42,000 people from World Net Daily had signed a petition AGAINST the stimulus payment.
For those who don’t know, World Net Daily is a republican leaning news organization ran by Joseph Farah. This is the same news source for people saying the President was not born in the Hawaii. (They have been sued multiple times for printing lies).
Seniors are right for not liking Republicans. They will do anything above and beyond to scare the daylights out of everyone and they are NOT for the people.
I am willing to start a website dedicated for the $250 stimulus and help get an online petition started. You folks have got to call your Senators and members of Congress and ask for this stimulus payment too! Give me about a week and I will personally spend the money to get this website up. I will be counting on you folks to help spread the word about it.
I am blessed to have a pretty good job and my grandma is not poverty but she is not rich either. She has too much pride to ask for extra money but I do what I can for her. She does not know the first thing about even getting on a computer and has never been able to learn.
This is the problem with having a website for doing this. I will be counting on others to stand up for our seniors and sign their names and set them up an email account.
When I have this set up, I will be depending on you folks to get the word out. We need to tell not only other seniors but we also need to tell our neighbors and friends who have family that can help them do this (or do this for them while they watch).
Give me about a week and I will be back with more information. We are going to have to get involved and fight off the republicans to get this done this year. They say they don’t have the money… $14 billion added to the debt is pennies compared to all the other projects they have done. Democrats can get this done for our Seniors and we have the vote of 1 Republican – Olympia Snowe.
Sorry for this very long message. I will be back to this forum in one week with more information. Thank you.
Whoa,wait a minute, folks! I’m disappointed as well about the$250, but to go against the Republicans in the fall because of this when this new legislation from the Democrats, will cause us to be severely hampered on access to our doctors. Many doctors in our area have already decided if the HC reform goes thru, they will either retire or quit taking Medicare patients.
The Dems are slashing over $500 billion from Medicare, which
will cause doctors to drop seniors, especially! Can we really afford to lose our Medicare? That would cost far more than
the $250 stimulus check. I believe that they will take another vote on that and it will go through, no doubt, esp
when the congress gets the idea that not putting that thru,
while they all live like royalty, is not a good idea in a
election year. Think about some bureaucratic panel making end of life decisions for you? Not a pretty picture.
Do any of us know what is in this bill?
SOUNDS LIKE ELEANOR IS REPUBLICAN,WITH HER LIES AND SCARE TACTICS.I AM TELLING YOU,THAT IS ALL THEY ARE GOOD FOR!
MARY
JASON GO TO PETITIONONLINE .COM I DON’T THINK IT COST ANTHING.LET US KNOW WHEN YOU ARE READY.I WILL BE GLAD TO SIGN
Lord help us all, We our truly falling apart and should stand together in time of need which is now the senate cares less its not the president fault they dont agree with his plans, however before he promises he can do something I think he should make sure he can! Pray people for our world only one perfect person can help and keeps his word and listens, OUR LORD.
hey
if those 10 democrats who voted against the bill voted for it, it would have passed. throw all the bums out
Think,George,throw the ten democrats,and all the republicans,who didn’t VOTE for it OUT!!!!!!!!!!
Mary
I am not worried in any cuts to Medicare. If I cannot see a doctor, I am only a 911 call for an ambulance ride to the local hospital emergency room. I have already lost everything waiting 4 years for my disability claim to be processed by social security, so if I am stuck with medical bills, so be it. Can’t get blood from a turnip.
I really could have used that $250.00, but I applied for food stamps, get $136.00 a month, and had the State of Ohio pay $300.00 on my electric bill for the Home Energy Heating Assistance program. So I guess I will just go after every government program I can to survive. It is not easy trying to live on $865.00 a month.
I am 76 yrs old, worked in an office all my life, no pension there, live on ss, worked 7 yrs after retirement part time, last year was laid off and tried to draw unemployment, was told by the state of Ill that I drew ss and said I could not draw unemployment because is would be what they called “double dipping”, had depended on COLA each year to take care of the increases in living, now they tell us we will not get that for 2 yrs, in those two years, my land rent goes up $40. mo, electric, gas, water , license plates, sales taxes and everything else, food has all gone up, plus you are getting smaller amounts; and has any one noticed that the width of toilet tissue has been cut down by about 2″, but not the cost. How can they sit up there and say the cost of living has not gone up? The people is Washington, plus the State gov. are not for the people, they have always been interested in linning their own pockets, look at their retirement plans and we will continue to pay. Era
I live in Minnesota where the Govenor, last year cut funding for special needs diets, being a diabetic and on SSD/SSI I can not afford the type of diet that my doctor says I should have. It took a Superior Court Judge to rule that what this governor did was illegal and reinstated the special needs diet funding for all of us. I too was counting on that stimlus check to buy the extra I need to help. Any one that is a diabetic knows the high cost of such a diet. Come November this year and in 2012 will be making my vote count and not for the ones that are now in DC!
Has anyone ever thought about how we can power our vehicles, well just put in a hot air pipeline run it straight thru Washington, DC….. begin in the congressional house…senate, Whouse (not white) Clinton era and we can live without foreign oil! Heavens know there’s enough hot air blowing in those taxpayer supported palatial mahogany offices to get all Americans to and from the handout lines! Why do we continue to vote them in? Well I figured it out, a lot of these people are straight up on the stump, only after a few weeks in office ….the apples all rot at about the same pace, depends on basket placement. God bless all of us who depend on nothing to get us thru, remember that at the BOOTH AND BALLOT….let’s make all of them HANGING CHAD’S.
It wasn’t the Republicans who voted against the 2010 Stimulas checks it was the Democrats. Check the Website I am posting and below I am pasting what that website said.
[Update Mar 2010] Unfortunately the Democrat-controlled Senate has rejected a measure by a 50 to 47 vote that would have given seniors a one-time Social Security benefit payment of $250 to make up for the lack of a cost of living increase The jobs bill, which contained the $250 SSI provision, was rejected despite Obama’s backing. The payments which would amount to $13 billion, where earmarked in the jobs bill ? which was deemed too costly by lawmakers trying to allay their image of big spenders.
The badly needed Social Security payments would have helped 57 million seniors, a risky number to overlook considering the fall elections and how badly Democrats are viewed ever since the recession became a reality. Now that lawmakers have slapped seniors in the face the historical return is that this year marks the first time since 1975 that Social Security beneficiaries didn’t receive a cost of living increase. An extra payment may become a reality later this year if a new jobs bill is introduced to further extend unemployment benefits or the COLA provision in President Obama?s budget is approved
Why did’nt the President fight for a stimulus of 250.00 for seniors as hard as he has fought for this health bill which by far exceeds a one time stimulus check.I guess we old people really do not count for much.We are the forgotten many.The new second class citizens out of sight out of mind.I guess it is good we don’t eat or have bills or take meds.We are self sufficient,we make due with what we have.
Everybody knows the senate is controlled by dumb rich republicans.The most of them inherited their riches.It isn’t in their being,(they don’t have hearts or souls)to help the elderly or the poor.My daughter was asked, by some younger people ,the other day,”why should we vote democrat?)she said,”because everytime we have a republican president,we have war,no jobs,and no help for the poor”.I am so proud of her.I am most proud of her,because she has been saved ,by the grace of God,
and he lives in her heart.There are a lot of republicans who need to be saved by grace,and not shake the preachers’ hand and join the church religion.
Mary
Hey this decision was no fault of only one party the Democrats nor the Republicans but the whole damn Senate as a whole they all let the Seniors and Disabled down.And as for our so called President he said that he would Veto this health care bill and pass it anyway if it did not pass through the house.
Then why the hell did he not overturn this damn 2010 $250 SSI STIMULUS?? He made a promise to us the people and did not fall through, He must be getting his advice from George Bush I do no longer trust this President and will not be getting any votes next term from any of my family members as well as my friends , They all feel the same way.We the people need to take this country back? I am sorry to say but there must be more American Bloodshed here at home like a second Civil War in order to refresh this country’s way’s and to defend it’s citizens and not forget the one’s who built it.
BLESS OUR SENIORS OUR DISABLED & LESS FORTUNATE
Like so many of you, i too was disappointed when the 2010 stimulus was struck down. There was no COLA, yet my rent increased by $77 a month for a grand total of $928 a year. I can’t make ends meet anymore. I now have a total of $ 50 to see me through the month after rent,electric,gas, life insurance and food.
What a way to live!! I remember when the economy was booming and i could give my grands some of their wants. It now hurts me not being able to. I read the book,The Gray Dawn, by Peter G. Peterson. SENIORS!!!!! wake up and smell the coffee. We have power and really need to to start using it.
Call,write your represenatives(senators and house) , remind them they were elected by us and as a result it becomes their responsibility to represent us. Lets flood their offices with letters. Just don’t stop there , write PRESIDENT OBAMA . I hear he reads most letters.
We have the power, use it.
I just found out that the demacratic senate, with just a few republicans voted our stimulus down. I voted for this black president because I figured he would take care of his own. That being the case, I figured, since, most disabled, and elderly were actually living below the level of his people that it would trickle down to us. Hell, this president is screwing the people who couldn’t wait to get a black president. This healthcare bill is comunism at its finest. Like a previos writer said, my rent went up 30.00 a month, and I got no cola. They said it was because the cost of fuel was down, and therefore we didnt need it. Have you seen the cost of gas lately? These liars are out of their minds. I want to know how to contact my senator, so I can tell him that 50.000.000 americans that his vote effected are about to fire his ass.
KM, 47 democrats and 1 republican voted FOR the stimulus check, so all repulicans EXCEPT 1 ( Cynthia Snowe ) voted nay and I do believe a few republicans and a few democrats did not report to WORK for the vote at all, probably on a secluded golf course in Texas. The problems are these politicans take an elected by the people seat in Washington, D.C. and then grow old and die there. We need to make sure all of us (including me) as I too, voted for a change I could believe in, but as far as I know only 1 thing trickles down. teehee
There is talk of gas prices reaching over $4.00 a gallon again this summer. I have to wonder if we will get an increase in cost of living for next year. Is this increase not also an increase in the cost to live for many of us?
The social security Admin. is claiming the average wait time for a disability claim to be heard by an administrative judge is 14 months. Just like they claim there is no cost of living increase this past year. Both LIES. It took me 3 years and 7 months to get a hearing. Lost everything i owned and was homeless waiting. What a joke.
Dan, I would have to see papers on that before I could believe it!
“write PRESIDENT OBAMA . I hear he reads most letters.”
Believe that and you’ll believe anything!
BB, do you know what activism is? It flattered me that you left a comment. You must really believe that you can’t make a difference,but don’t rain on my parade. There’s a saying,”you don’t have because you didn’t ask”. I am thankful that there are people out here like me that believe they can make a difference. Thank God that someone believed this technology we now use- the computer, was more than just a dream. So i will continue my calls and letters.
Of course they can sit up there on there butts and vote down $250 for those of us who are barely getting by, those beaurocrats who are making six figure incomes. $250 to them is a drop in a bucket. I wish we could all snap our fingers and they would have to try to get by on what we do, then they would be crying for some relief. I don’t understand how they can say that there was no cost of living increase this year when gas for the car is UP, utilities are UP, food is UP, everything is higher. Maybe they mean their vaction suites, airline tickets, resort spas, lobster dinners, fancy cars, limosines, etc. etc. are still being had by them. Somebody needs to set these people making the laws straight for once. Don’t vote them back in, let them go stand in the unemployment line!