VOA标准英语2009年-US Government Says No Social Security Bene

By Jeff Swicord
Washington
27 October 2009

For the first time in 30 years, Social Security recipients² in the United States will not receive an annual adjustment in benefits.  More than 52 million older Americans depend on Social Security for all or part of their retirement³ income. As pension funds and the stock market have declined in the last decade, Social Security has become the primary rather, than supplemental income for many retirees.

 
Mike Maiman is Anna Maiman's grandson and her full-time⁴ caretaker
97-year-old Anna Maiman is one of 52 million Social Security recipients who will not receive an increase in benefits this year.

Maiman came to the U.S. from Poland at age 17. Her husband died several years ago. She suffers from dementia, so her grandson Mike Maiman is her full-time caretaker.

They live on $1,350 a month, the sum of Maiman's Social Security benefits and her husband's pension fund. Anna Maiman is still very active for her age. Her grandson says not having an increase will affect her quality of life.

"It is not life or death for us," Mike says, "but it would mean taking life from more of a hum-drum experience where she can't get out much or do much because we are at the limit of the budget."

Social Security began early last century as a buffer⁵ between older Americans and poverty. Americans pay into the system throughout their working lives. The annual increase in benefits is tied to the consumer price index or CPI - an index of consumer goods and services. This year, the CPI fell 1.3 percent, reflecting the steep decline in fuel prices.

 
Nancy Altman
Nancy Altman is an authority on private pensions and Social Security.  She questions whether the CPI is an accurate cost of living indicator⁶ for senior citizens. She argues the CPI is not weighted toward housing and health care, the primary expenditures⁷ for older adults. 
She wants to see Social Security benefits increased.

"The average benefit is less than someone working full time at minimum wage. It is not even a minimum wage life style," Altman says. "So when you don't get the cost of living increase it just compounds that. The benefits are just not enough."

Anna Maiman's granddaughter pays for her to attend Winter Growth, a non-profit day care center for the elderly, two days a week. Maiman participates in classes and activities with other seniors. Like many of her peers, she could not afford to come here without financial help.

Social Security Administration officials say the average recipient¹ receives a check for $1,150 a month. And 40 percent of all single retirees depend on Social Security for 90 percent off their income.

Marge Burba is the executive director of Winter Growth. She says Social Security is the only source of income for half of her clients, and when there is no cost of living increase, it also affects the non-profit organizations that serve them.

 
Anna Maiman (r) enjoys participating in the Winter Growth programs
 
"Our costs will go up more than the consumer price index and yet the people that we are serving won't have the money to pay that," Burba notes. "So, we have to scramble⁸ around and try and find it somewhere else to continue giving them quality care."

President Barack Obama says he wants to provide an emergency payment of $250 to Social Security recipients as soon as possible. The proposal is currently a part of several bills circulating on Capitol Hill.

For Anna Maiman and other Social Security dependents, the increase would mean an extra $30 to $40 a month. It's not much, but it would provide a cushion that could help in an emergency.

1 recipient   

a.接受的,感受性强的 n.接受者,感受者,容器

参考例句：

• Please check that you have a valid email certificate for each recipient. 请检查是否对每个接收者都有有效的电子邮件证书。
• Colombia is the biggest U . S aid recipient in Latin America. 哥伦比亚是美国在拉丁美洲最大的援助对象。

2 recipients   

adj.接受的；受领的；容纳的；愿意接受的n.收件人；接受者；受领者；接受器

参考例句：

• The recipients of the prizes had their names printed in the paper. 获奖者的姓名登在报上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The recipients of prizes had their names printed in the paper. 获奖者名单登在报上。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

3 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

4 full-time   

adj.满工作日的或工作周的，全时间的

参考例句：

• A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
• I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作，我不知道她是如何对付的。

5 buffer   

n.起缓冲作用的人(或物)，缓冲器；vt.缓冲

参考例句：

• A little money can be a useful buffer in time of need.在急需时，很少一点钱就能解燃眉之急。
• Romantic love will buffer you against life's hardships.浪漫的爱会减轻生活的艰辛。

6 indicator   

n.指标；指示物，指示者；指示器

参考例句：

• Gold prices are often seen as an indicator of inflation.黃金价格常常被看作是通货膨胀的指标。
• His left-hand indicator is flashing.他左手边的转向灯正在闪亮。

7 expenditures   

n.花费( expenditure的名词复数 )；使用；（尤指金钱的）支出额；（精力、时间、材料等的）耗费

参考例句：

• We have overspent.We'll have to let up our expenditures next month. 我们已经超支了，下个月一定得节约开支。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The pension includes an allowance of fifty pounds for traffic expenditures. 年金中包括50镑交通费补贴。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 scramble   

v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料

参考例句：

• He broke his leg in his scramble down the wall.他爬墙摔断了腿。
• It was a long scramble to the top of the hill.到山顶须要爬登一段长路。