While Republicans push to gut programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, new figures show next year’s increase in Social Security will already be historically small. According to the Associated Press, Social Security recipients, as well as disabled veterans and federal retirees, will see their payments rise roughly 1.5 percent in January, among the smallest rises since the automatic increases began in 1975. The exact size of the cost-of-living adjustment is unknown because a key federal inflation report has been delayed by the shutdown.