Retirees may be in line for a huge upgrade.
Social Security recipients will likely see their highest bump in three years after the Senior Citizens League (TSCL) — a non-partisan advocacy group that makes very accurate COLA projections — predicts a 3.5% boost.
The COLA, or Cost of Living Adjustment, is the yearly increase meant to help Social Security keep up with rising prices. The increase would be 0.1 percentage points lower than last month’s prediction, and it would be 0.7 percentage points higher than the 2.8 percent COLA for 2026.
The organization originally forecasted COLA at 3.6% just last month. And back in July, the TSCL forecasted a 3.8% boost. But days ago, the agency made its final prediction ahead of the Oct. 14 announcement.
The average Social Security benefit check is roughly $2,071, according to the Social Security Administration. The boost would bring the monthly benefit checks to roughly $2,143, a $72.49 increase.
And married seniors could be in line for even larger monthly checks. The SSA estimates that the average monthly benefits amount is roughly $3,208 per month combined.
If the COLA amount is correct, the move will increase the spousal benefit by $112.28 per month taking checks to $3,320. Social Security recipients will get their personalized benefit notice in December, which will include the amount they are scheduled to receive beginning January 2027.
Folks with a my Social Security account may be able to see the notice online before the paper copy arrives; the notice will account for Medicare deductions so recipients can see precisely how much their monthly payment will be.
But retirees could see an even bigger bump after Congress reintroduced the Social Security 2100 Act. First introduced back in 2017, the bill would make more changes to Social Security, including a higher minimum benefit and a new inflation measure for calculations.
If passed, the bill would raise benefits by 2%, set the new minimum benefit to 125% of the Federal poverty line, and switch the COLA calculation to the CPI for the Elderly (CPI-E).
The CPI-W (Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers) currently calculates Social Security COLAs. It tracks the spending of working-age people — specifically wage and clerical workers. But it also tracks the cost of food, housing, energy, transportation and healthcare.
Meanwhile, the CPI-E is another measure for those 62 and older, offering more information on expenses that directly impact seniors. Some advocates believe that this change would be more beneficial to Social Security recipients as it’s a “senior-focused” inflation measure instead of “working-person-focused.”
The proposed bill would also increase the Social Security payroll tax, expanding it to cover income over $400,000, securing its trust fund for an additional 32 years. A problem plaguing lawmakers as Social Security funds are projected to run out in late 2032.
Read the full article here
