Question: What will Social Security’s COLA be in 2024? The big jump this year helped.
Answer: The annual cost of living adjustment for Social Security beneficiaries won’t be announced until October. The Senior Citizens League estimated in mid-July that the 2024 COLA could be 3% while cautioning that its forecast could change because there are three more months of inflation data to weigh before the COLA is announced; TSCL is one of the nation’s largest nonpartisan seniors groups.
The 2023 COLA was 8.7%, the largest increase since 1981.
Q: Can one drive in Florida by holding a noncompliant Hawaii limited-purpose driver’s license and a compliant state of Hawaii ID (with the star)? That is my case: It is convenient, as I have to renew my driver’s license every two years while my compliant Hawaii ID is valid for eight years.
A: Your solution isn’t necessary, as Florida is once again recognizing all types of Hawaii driver’s licenses, including the limited type you hold and which Florida had deemed invalid as of July 1. Hawaii’s state Department of Transportation announced July 26 that Florida has dropped its objection to Hawaii’s LPDL, which no longer is listed on the website of Florida’s Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Department as being invalid for driving in Florida.
Kokua Line reported July 7 (808ne.ws/3OD9r8g) that it was unclear why the FHSMV ever thought a Florida law intended to deter out-of-state undocumented immigrants from driving there would apply to Hawaii’s LPDL. As we told the FHSMV in an email that day, Hawaii’s LPDL didn’t seem to fit the law’s requirements: It is not issued exclusively to undocumented immigrants, and it is not similar to Hawaii’s standard “gold star” driver’s license, which, unlike the LPDL, does require applicants to prove their lawful U.S. presence. We asked whether FHSMV had invalidated Hawaii’s LPDL by mistake, and also wanted to know why it had singled out Hawaii and four other small states when 19 states and the District of Columbia have laws allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain a driver’s license.
The FHSMV never responded to our questions, but it did communicate with state officials. The DOT, in announcing the reversal, said it had “worked with Florida officials to clear any misconceptions about Hawaii’s LPDLs, especially informing them that Hawai‘i’s LPDLs are not exclusively issued to those without a legal presence in the U.S. An LPDL can be obtained in Hawai‘i by U.S. citizens if they choose to do so instead of getting a REAL ID credential.”
As of July 1, Hawaii had issued 10,323 LPDLs, which are good only for driving. They don’t establish eligibility for voter registration, public benefits or employment and are not accepted for official federal purposes.
Standard Hawaii driver’s licenses were never affected by the Florida law.
Q: My wife and I are moving into an adult care home. How do we notify the state so we can receive our voting ballots?
A: You can update your voter registration at olvr.hawaii.gov, the same state Office of Elections website where eligible Hawaii residents can register to vote. Given that you emailed your question, this might be the most convenient option. To access the online system, you’ll need to input your Social Security number and the number from your Hawaii driver’s license or Hawaii state ID card. If you don’t have a Hawaii driver’s license or ID card, you can update your address by filling out a paper application and submitting it to your county elections division. Links to the form and the contact information for all counties are on the aforementioned website.
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
