If Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., have their way, Social Security recipients will get a one-time payment of $250 next year in lieu of a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA).

The lawmakers introduced legislation Thursday in the Senate and House that would provide $250 to individual beneficiaries, and $500 for couples, to make up for what Social Security Administration officials are expected to announce next month: no COLA for 2010.

It would be the first time since 1975 that beneficiaries, now estimated to number 51 million, would not see a cost-of-living raise. The COLA for 2009 was 5.8 percent, the most in 26 years.

Sanders said that millions of older adults have been hit hard by the recession and can’t afford to go without a benefit increase. “Many have seen their savings disappear, their pension funds severely decline and the value of their homes dramatically diminish,” he said in a press release. “Seniors deserve a fair increase in benefits to keep up with these added costs and economic hardships.”

Under the Sanders bill, the $250 payment would be paid for by applying the Social Security payroll tax to individuals earning between $250,000 and $359,000 in 2010. Under current law, only the first $106,800 of earned income is subject to the tax.

Without a benefit hike, there could actually be a slight decrease in payments next year for millions of people who have Medicare Part D prescription drug premiums deducted from their checks, since those premiums are expected to rise. According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Part D premiums will rise by $2 on average in 2010, though some may see a much larger increase depending on their plan.

On Sept. 8, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y., introduced legislation that would give Social Security beneficiaries a one-time payment of $150.

The COLA is not expected to increase for next year because it’s tied to the year-to-year change in the Consumer Price Index for the third quarter, which ends this month. The Labor Department reported Wednesday that the index fell 1.5 percent in the year ending in August.

But while prices may have declined for the “basket” of goods and services that the Consumer Price Index tracks, medical and drug expenses have continued to rise. That means Social Security beneficiaries, whose average monthly check is $1,061, need to stretch their dollars further to cover out-of-pocket medical costs that have been outpacing inflation.

According to a January study by the human resources consulting firm Towers Perrin, retirees will face a 5 percent increase in health care costs this year.

People under 65 and not yet eligible for Medicare can expect to pay $13,308 in out-of-pocket costs for family coverage, 66 percent more than they paid five years ago.

“While inflation is down over all, medical inflation, which comprises 30 percent of seniors’ average expenses, is still going up,” said Dave Certner, legislative policy director at AARP. “Combined with losses in savings, investments and home values, seniors feel like they’re falling further and further behind.”

Carole Fleck is a senior editor at the AARP Bulletin.