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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body bgcolor=white lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>For your information…<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Sherry Shirek<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Secretary – Social Events Committee Chair<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>National Federation of the Blind of North Dakota<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Website <a href="www.nfbnd.org"><span style='color:blue'>www.nfbnd.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Voice/text 701-781-3055<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Email <a href="mailto:sherrybeth7@gmail.com"><span style='color:blue'>sherrybeth7@gmail.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><img border=0 width=304 height=378 style='width:3.1666in;height:3.9375in' id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D3442B.090AC6A0" alt="NFBND Logo RGB Square.jpg"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=p1><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Begin forwarded message: <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=p1><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>In the attached social security fact sheet, it states that social security disability thresholds for the blind will go from $1,950/month in 2017 to $1,970/month in 2018. Please see the press release below for more information. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> </span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Press Release</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Friday, October 13, 2017 <br>For Immediate Release</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Mark Hinkle, Acting Press Officer <br><a href="mailto:press.office@ssa.gov">press.office@ssa.gov</a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Social Security Announces 2.0 Percent Benefit Increase for 2018</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Link to Press Release: <a href="https://mandrillapp.com/track/click/30489975/www.ssa.gov?p=eyJzIjoiejM2SjQxMnF5T09TdFJvYUJ6WEY3OVUtMmYwIiwidiI6MSwicCI6IntcInVcIjozMDQ4OTk3NSxcInZcIjoxLFwidXJsXCI6XCJodHRwczpcXFwvXFxcL3d3dy5zc2EuZ292XFxcL25ld3NcXFwvcHJlc3NcXFwvcmVsZWFzZXNcXFwvI1xcXC9wb3N0XFxcLzEwLTIwMTctMVwiLFwiaWRcIjpcImFiNTg2MmFjODg2MjQ5NmRhYzYyYzlmZmI0MDkxZDllXCIsXCJ1cmxfaWRzXCI6W1wiMTRhMDhmMjhmODk2ZmRlZTQwNmEyYmU2MzU0ZWM5YWI3YWJjNDU0Y1wiXX0ifQ">https://www.ssa.gov/news/press/releases/#/post/10-2017-1</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for more than 66 million Americans will increase 2.0 percent in 2018, the Social Security Administration announced today.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>The 2.0 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits payable to more than 61 million Social Security beneficiaries in January 2018. Increased payments to more than 8 million SSI beneficiaries will begin on December 29, 2017. (Note: some people receive both Social Security and SSI benefits) The Social Security Act ties the annual COLA to the increase in the Consumer Price Index as determined by the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Some other adjustments that take effect in January of each year are based on the increase in average wages. Based on that increase, the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax (taxable maximum) will increase to $128,700 from $127,200. Of the estimated 175 million workers who will pay Social Security taxes in 2018, about 12 million will pay more because of the increase in the taxable maximum.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Information about Medicare changes for 2018, when announced, will be available at <a href="https://mandrillapp.com/track/click/30489975/www.medicare.gov?p=eyJzIjoibzRWRFZtSktYblVVaG1wNVFPd01uRG1YMUNvIiwidiI6MSwicCI6IntcInVcIjozMDQ4OTk3NSxcInZcIjoxLFwidXJsXCI6XCJodHRwOlxcXC9cXFwvd3d3Lm1lZGljYXJlLmdvdlwiLFwiaWRcIjpcImFiNTg2MmFjODg2MjQ5NmRhYzYyYzlmZmI0MDkxZDllXCIsXCJ1cmxfaWRzXCI6W1wiMDNlYTM5MzBlNzczMWI0M2U5YmNiYWJjMDMxY2IzNDg2OGNkM2YyMVwiXX0ifQ">www.medicare.gov</a>.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>The Social Security Act provides for how the COLA is calculated. To read more, please visit <a href="https://mandrillapp.com/track/click/30489975/www.ssa.gov?p=eyJzIjoiWDdOOEhzUXNlOGxVcnpTallyNUFDMlloS0tBIiwidiI6MSwicCI6IntcInVcIjozMDQ4OTk3NSxcInZcIjoxLFwidXJsXCI6XCJodHRwczpcXFwvXFxcL3d3dy5zc2EuZ292XFxcL2NvbGFcXFwvXCIsXCJpZFwiOlwiYWI1ODYyYWM4ODYyNDk2ZGFjNjJjOWZmYjQwOTFkOWVcIixcInVybF9pZHNcIjpbXCJmMjkxOTEzOWVmYjg2MTcxYzQzODVhZjc0MjllOWIxODM3MDlmMGNmXCJdfSJ9">www.socialsecurity.gov/cola</a>.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;border:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 style='width:.0104in;height:.0104in' id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image002.jpg@01D3442B.090AC6A0" alt="Image removed by sender."></span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></body></html>