Could Social Security Recipients See Another Disappointing COLA Next Year?
We are about three months away from learning what the 2027 Social Security cost-of-living adjustment will be. According to an article by Yahoo! Finance, early predictions are that it could be 3.8 percent. That’s a full percentage point higher than this year’s COLA.
While an above-average benefit boost should sound good, beneficiaries are likely to be disappointed once again. That’s because of the impact of inflation, especially the high gas prices we’ve been experiencing this summer because of the war in Iran.
The article notes that a 3.8 percent COLA would give the typical retiree about $79 more each month. That’s certainly not enough to offset the rising expenses they’ve faced in the first half of 2026.
Inflation is only part of the problem. The bigger issue is the way COLA is calculated.
Senior advocates, including The Seniors Trust, believe the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E) should be used to calculate the COLA instead of the current Consumer Price Index for Wage Earners (CPI-W). The CPI-E index shows how inflation actually impacts the typical retiree based on seniors’ spending habits.
Join Our Efforts
We are calling on Congress to enact the Social Security Expansion Act. One of its main points calls for adopting the CPI-E as the COLA calculator, better ensuring that Social Security benefits keep pace with inflation.
Additionally, this landmark piece of legislation will also extend the solvency of the Social Security trust fund through 2096, expand Social Security benefits by about $200 a month for current and new beneficiaries, require millionaires and billionaires to pay their fair share into Social Security by lifting the wage cap, and improve the Special Minimum Benefit for Social Security recipients which would help low-income workers stay out of poverty.
Is this something you can get on board with? Join us in urging lawmakers to enact the Social Security Expansion Act. You can show your support by signing our petition.
