Senior News Briefs

Identity theft is when someone uses your personal information to impersonate you or steal from you. It is important that you stay safe online. Please review these privacy and identity protection resources from the Social Security Administration:

1. A great online resource is www.ssa.gov/myaccount. You can visit this page to open a secure my Social Security account, keep track of your earnings record, and identify any suspicious activity.

2. Social Security Administration's (SSA) blog post, Protect Yourself from Identity Thieves, helps you understand how to spot, prevent, and report identity theft. You can check out this blog at blog.ssa.gov/protect-yourself-from-identity-thieves. 

3. In the blog post, Protect Your Online Identity with Strong Passwords, SSA encourages better password habits to keep online data and accounts safe and secure. You can check out the following blog for tips to help make sure passwords are strong at blog.ssa.gov/protect-your-online-identity-with-strong-passwords.

4. The blog post, Protecting Yourself from QR Code Fraud, provides details to help safeguard you from using Quick Response (QR) codes that may compromise your personal information. You can read this blog at blog.ssa.gov/protecting-yourself-from-qr-code-fraud.

5. Fraudsters use Social Security scams to mislead victims into making cash, gift card, or wire transfer payments to fix alleged Social Security number problems. Learn how to spot scams, check out our blog post Social Security's Top 5 Scam Awareness Articles at blog.ssa.gov/social-securitys-top-5-scam-awareness-articles.

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EARLIER NEWS BRIEFS:

• Between 2017-2019 and 2020-2022, senior drug deaths increased by 60%, from 8.6 to 13.8 deaths per 100,000 adults aged 65 and older between 2017-2019 and 2020-2022).
• Held the second-lowest rate of physical inactivity at 22.9%, compared to a national average of 30.9%.
• High-speed internet access increased by 12% in households with one or more adults aged 65 and older between 2016 and 2022.

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PSE to Resume Shutting Off Power for Residents Behind on Payments, Including Households with Vulnerable Seniors

Puget Sound Energy (PSE), Washington’s largest utility, announced a new plan for disconnecting customers who are behind on their utility bills. This plan will increase the number of customer disconnections for non-payment to levels not seen since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Tens of thousands of vulnerable and low-income households, previously protected from utility disconnections during and after the pandemic, are now at risk of losing access to power and heat.

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission approved the request, allowing PSE to resume sending disconnection notices to customers who have high past-due balances of 90 days or more and gradually moving to customers owing as little as $250.

Washington State Community Action Partnership (WSCAP), Front and Centered, NW Energy Coalition, and the Sierra Club advised the Commission to keep disconnection protection in place for customers enrolled in bill discount or bill assistance programs, customers in highly impacted or overburdened communities, and customers who declare a situation where disconnection would put their health or housing at risk. Such customers include homebound and medically fragile seniors and families with small children.

"Research highlights the extreme consequences disconnections have on vulnerable and low-income customers, including not being able to afford other basic necessities like food and medicine or even being evicted from rental properties,” said Yochi Zakai, an attorney representing WSCAP. The Commission granted PSE’s request to break its disconnection protection agreement despite being presented with this research.

“Instead of resorting to punishing customers struggling to afford their bills, we need utilities to implement models that increase communications with residential customers behind on payments to help them take advantage of available financial assistance programs or get them into payment and budget plans," said Shaylee Stokes, director of The Energy Project, a program of WSCAP. 

EARLIER SENIOR NEWS BRIEFS:

• Assisted Living Workers at WA Facility Call for Higher Wages. Workers for an assisted living facility are calling for higher wages in their union contract negotiations. Aegis Living, a Seattle-based company, has been in negotiations with Service Employees International Union - Local 775 - since March 2023. Workers say higher pay would help with retention. SEIU 775 says Aegis Living has increased fees for residents, but that money has not made its way to workers. Chetty said some of his colleagues are leaving for minimum wage jobs because the pay is similar, and the work is less stressful. --Washington News Service

•  911-211-988 Under One Roof: A first-of-its-kind service that brings social services and mental health together to support 911 is now operational through Valley Communications Center and Crisis Connections to serve South King County. --read full story at the following link:  http://dev.northwestprimetime.www.clients.ellingtoncms.com/news/2024/may/20/south-king-county-now-offers-911-988-211-under-one-roof/

• Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program: From June 1 through October 31, the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) provides benefits to lower-income older adults to purchase locally grown fruits, vegetables, honey, and herbs. --read full story at the following link:     https://northwestprimetime.com/news/2024/may/15/senior-farmers-market-nutrition-program/

• AARP Seeks Nominees for Washington State Exceptional Volunteer Award: The award honors people ages 50+ who are sharing their time, talent, experience and skills to enrich the lives of community members. --read full story at the following link: AARP Seeks Nominees for Exceptional Volunteer Award