Despite a Higher COLA, Social Security Continues to Fail Seniors
Social Security recipients received a 2.8 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) this year. That sounds great compared to 2025’s 2.5 percent COLA. But a survey by The Motley Fool found more than half of all retirees say the 2.8 percent COLA increase was not enough, with 68 percent noting it’s not even enough to cover “essential living expenses.”
It’s easy to understand why when you consider that, according to an article by The Motley Fool, Social Security recipients have been losing buying power for years. In fact, research shows that between 2010 and 2024, seniors on Social Security lost 20 percent of their buying power.
Better COLA Calculator
The problem is that the COLA calculator doesn’t adequately account for the biggest expenses seniors face, which are largely healthcare and housing.
This is why 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 Consumer Price Index for Wage Earners (CPI-W). This index shows how inflation actually impacts the typical retiree based on seniors’ spending habits.
We are calling on Congress to enact the Social Security Expansion Act. It 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 would 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.
