For the first time in nearly 30 years, those on Social Security will not get a cost of living adjustment.
That news has many seniors scrambling to figure out what to do next.
The AARP shows that one in six people in Idaho receive Social Security.
And for sixty percent of Idahoans over age 65, their Social Security makes up at least half of their income.
So when those like Lois Hanson found out that they wouldn't be getting a cost of living adjustment, they were no doubt disappointed.
That freeze in their income comes at a time when every other expense is on the rise.
Since Hanson is a former state employee, she already lost her state health insurance.
She no longer gets generic prescriptions, increasing that cost from $10 to $50 for each prescription.
But in previous years when there was an increase in her Social Security, Hanson says it wasn't noticed.
"You say it's increased, but our Medicare costs have taken that increase away, so it's never been like an increase straight across the board," Hanson said. "Our Medicare costs increase as our Social Security costs increase, so now they're taking our Social Security increase away and our Medicare is still going up."
While Hanson says her future is grim, the AARP is not sitting idle.
They are calling on Congress to pass legislation to provide immediate relief.
They're asking for a one-time $250 payment to everyone on Social Security.
According to the AARP, Idaho's elderly have among the lowest incomes in the country, so any relief would be welcomed.
The government says stagnant inflation is the reason behind not issuing a cost of living adjustment.
At the same time, health care costs for the elderly are up 30 percent and utility costs are also on the rise.
