The UC Berkeley Labor Center is a public service and research program focused on labor and employment issues, with a particular emphasis on health insurance and access to care in California. The Labor Center submits this comment in response to the Office of Management and Budget's request for comment on changing the inflation index used to annually update the Census Bureau's Official Poverty Measure (OPM). The Labor Center urges the Office to not change the cost of living adjustment method for the OPM to Chained Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (Chained CPI-U), as it does not accurately measure the cost of living for low-income people. The Labor Center also encourages the Office to consider other issues when considering any changes to the OPM.
