Will social security benefits increase in 2017

Hello, Manfred -

Read this article from the Florida Times-Union (newspaper, Jacksonville, Fla.):
http://www.jacksonville.com/reason/fact-check/2015-01-30/story/fact-check-viral-email-cashing-fear-when-it-comes-social-security

The article debunks a viral email that is going around.

Best wishes.

Q3. Which political party started taxing Social Security annuities?

A3. The taxation of Social Security began in 1984 following passage of a set of Amendments in 1983, which were signed into law by President Reagan in April 1983. These amendments passed the Congress in 1983 on an overwhelmingly bi-partisan vote.
The basic rule put in place was that up to 50% of Social Security benefits could be added to taxable income, if the taxpayer's total income exceeded certain thresholds.

The taxation of benefits was a proposal which came from the Greenspan Commission appointed by President Reagan and chaired by Alan Greenspan (who went on to later become the Chairman of the Federal Reserve).
The full text of the Greenspan Commission report is available on our website.
President's Reagan's signing statement for the 1983 Amendments can also be found on our website.
A detailed explanation of the provisions of the 1983 law is also available on the website.

Supreme Court Rules: U.S. Seniors Not Entitled to Social ...

americanspotlight.com/.../supreme-court-rules-u-s-seniors-not-entitled-to...

You have no choice when it comes to paying your Social Security taxes. ... he retired, Nestor began receiving Social Security checks for $55.60 per month. ... Over 32 million Americans could lose out on as much as $60,000 in extra benefits over ..."There's a short window of time where seniors can reclaim this money before ...

[PDF]Conference Statements - Social Security

It's true that Social Security retirement payments are classified as "federal benefit payments." The word "benefits" has been applied to Social Security retirement payments since the Social Security program was enacted in the 1930s. The terminology is also not unique to Social Security, as the phrase "federal benefit payments" applies to a broad class of payments made to (or on behalf of) individuals under federal government programs - everything from Social Security Disability Insurance to Medicare to farm subsidies are considered "federal benefit payments." The fact that workers themselves contribute much of the money that goes into the Social Security retirement fund doesn't affect its classification as a benefit. They benefit the person who cashes the check.

from a pure mathematical approach $1271 times 1.5 divided by 100 equals $19.05 so 1271 + 19.05 equals 1290.05