Social Security Administration Announces 2012 COLA

The Social Security Administration has announced that it will increase its monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits by 3.6 percent beginning in January 2012. SSA has also added 13 new conditions involving the immune system and neurological disorders to its Compassionate Allowances program. Compassionate Allowances speed up disability decisions to make sure that Americans with the most serious disabilities receive their benefit decisions within days instead of months or years. These conditions include certain cancers, adult brain disorders, a number of rare genetic disorders of children, early-onset Alzheimer's disease and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. For information about the COLA go to http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pressoffice/pr/2012cola-pr.html ; for information about the Compassionate Allowances program go to http://www.socialsecurity.gov/compassionateallowances/