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Someone turning 70 this year has lived through a lifetime of economic change, from the oil embargo and inflation of the 1970s to recessions in the 1980s and 1990s, the market crash of the early 2000s, and the Great Recession of 2008. They worked, raised families, paid taxes and served their communities through it all. Now, many are retired and struggling to make ends meet.

That’s why increasing the cost-of-living adjustment is so important.

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Today’s affordability crisis hits those living on fixed incomes the hardest. Grocery bills are up. Health care costs keep climbing. Utility rates are up and slated to increase again. At the same time, funding for key senior support programs remains unpredictable, leaving many older New Yorkers wondering whether the help they count on will still be there.

The Retired Public Employees Association represents the interests of nearly 500,000 state and local government retirees, people who dedicated their careers to serving New Yorkers. Most live on........

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