nearly 2 million retirees who receive Social Security benefits in New Jersey will see a 2 and a half% increase in their payment starting next year it's one of the lowest cost of living adjustments in years and it comes at a time when the cost to live in a state like New Jersey or anywhere for that matter keeps going up inflation may be down but prices haven't necessarily dropped along with it a senior correspondent Brenda Flanigan reports seniors say any amount of relief is welcome but it's far from enough so I struggled and struggled rodina G just moved into a Section 8 apartment in Woodbridge without government subsidies she couldn't afford the $1900 a month rent here or food she lives frugally and just started collecting Social Security about 800 bucks a month it's not enough now it's hard for me to buy clothes it's har for me to buy gas for a car to travel uh to visit my son or things to do cuz I'm constantly calling my son say I need money I don't have money for this I money for that so when my mother called me and say she need help I have to be there you know for her and it takes a toll of being stressful and depressed at some point her son gives G about $400 a month to help her make ends meat but she still has no furniture and sleeps on an inflatable bed next year Social Security recipients will will get a 22% cost of living adjustment or Cola that's about 50 bucks a month more G's grateful but I guess so little that it doesn't really add up to much it creates real difficulties for older residents particularly older residents who are on low and fixed incomes A's EV lebman says because inflation dipped a bit this fall next year's 2 and 1 half% Cola increase is also less compared to to more than 3% this year almost 9% in 2023 and about 6% in 2022 overall monthly checks depend on the recipient lifetime earnings the cost of living in New Jersey continues to be high uh utility rates are going up property taxes are still the highest in the nation uh more older residents uh are food insecure are having a tough time uh getting the groceries they need at the supermarket some 1.7 million people in New Jersey collect Social Security benefits most of them are retirees it's a high cost state so folks here do get a little bit more than the US average the concept is the benefits don't erod these are not increases these are simply trying to hold the line making sure people can tread water Advocate Nancy Altman says Social Security Cola increases should focus more on a consumer price index calculated specifically for elderly Americans who have different Financial pressures than younger Generations they disproportionately spend money on health care and drug prices and those have gone up so much faster than the general rate of inflation in New Jersey we have about 10% of our seniors who live below the poverty line so you know for them they will feel the biggest impact Advocate MAA Collings grw explains food banks churches and advoc groups like NJ citizen action do pick up some of the slack when seniors living on Social Security can't meet their needs it puts the burden on public and private support programs to fill in the Gap but the real question is what can be done to help Social Security be sustained for the long term and also perhaps help better serve those seniors who rely upon it analysts figure Social Security will hit a financial wall in 2033 it won't be able to pay full benefits unless Congress can figure out a rescue plan Democrats and Republicans have very different ideas on service Cuts versus tax increases and we know if Congress doesn't take action in the next 10 years there could be a cut to the average social security benefit of 20% Which equals almost $4,000 a year which put Social Security on the ballot this November mean while rina's son Carell will keep helping his mom but he's a sandwich generation being that I have a family of my own I have a a a child that's 2 years old and a 17-year-old that's going to college um next year I have to you know you know basically manage as much as I can it's just really rough because it's is very uncomfortable for G her family is the ultimate Safety Net in Fords I'm Brenda Flanigan andj Spotlight news