Sue Conard is a Social Security recipient who's worried the benefits she receives from the program won't be enough for her and other recipients to keep up with the growing cost of health care.
"Social security has been a life-changing program for me and my family for much of my life," Conard testified on Capitol Hill this spring.
She was back in Washington last week with other retirees, lobbying for changes to Social Security benefits.
The government shutdown is delaying data that impacts the cost-of-living adjustments for millions of Social Security beneficiaries.
That data is based on federal inflation figures.
Next year's Social Security benefits are projected to be 2.7% higher, according to the Senior Citizens League.
That would mean an extra $54 each month for the average retired worker.
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"A $50 difference for a senior citizen who's only relying on social security for their primary source of income can mean the difference between getting a prescription filled or not getting a prescription, said Shannon Benton, the executive director of the Senior Citizens League.
Benton says many recipients tell her even with the adjustment, the program is not keeping up with their rising costs because it's calculated off inflation data that doesn't focus specifically on the elderly.
"We would prefer that it be based on the CPI-E, which is the consumer price index for the elderly," Benton said. "And that weights things like healthcare, prescription drugs, housing."
A group of Democratic lawmakers introduced legislation last year that would make that change, but so far the proposal hasn't gone anywhere.
