Are you a “notch” baby?  Many seniors have again received mailings this week, urging them to get registered for the Notch Baby Social Security windfall of $5,000!  Sorry, folks, there is no windfall.  What is being received is a solicitation from a group wanting to lobby Congress.  Seniors in the 70 to 80 age bracket are receiving these mailings and sending in their contributions.

 Although as Baby Boomers, we are not eligible for this, many of our parents are in this category.  Indeed, I received 3 telephone calls from seniors telling me what they are going to do with the extra $5,000!   The mailing from The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) makes it sound like the $5,000 will be arriving shortly and urges “notchers” to send in their small contribution so that “we” can get this bill through and get your $5,000 right out!

“Notch” babies are those individuals born between 1917 and 1926.  Because of a Social Security correction which Congress made in 1977, there is a “V” trough of slightly lower benefits percentage-wise for this group.  The argument is that this group received lower benefits and should be compensated.  The error happened in 1972 when Congress linked Social Security benefits to the consumer price index in an effort to stabilize senior purchasing power.  When the error was discovered, Congress passed a law which did not take back money from those who had been given it in error (babies born 1910 to 1916), but merely started to adjust so that the next group would not receive the higher amount in error. This created outcries of notch baby victims.

These notch fundraisers periodically mail out brochures for seniors to register.  Mailings seem to indicate that if a senior wants this windfall that they must register with TSCL.  This is not accurate because TSCL will not be mailing the windfall, should it ever be passed.  A government agency will assist in the distribution and remember they have all the information on Social Security beneficiaries, so there would be no need to register.

Of course, there are supporters on both sides of this issue.  TREA Senior Citizens League and TSCL are on the pro-notch side, with opponents consisting of those who say distribution is fair on the other side. Currently, non-notch supporters include the Social Security Administration (SSA), AARP and financial writer Jane Bryant Quinn

All of us are free to support the causes we believe in, but do a little research before sending in your contribution!  Social Security checks need to stretch to cover a lot of expenses, so be sure your dollars are going to benefit you the most.