An Increase in Social Security Benefits in 2017
Reading Time: 1 MinuteLast Updated: March 17, 2021
The annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) usually means an increase in the benefit amount people receive each month. By law, the monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) federal benefit rate increases when there is a rise in the cost of living. The government measures changes in the cost of living through the Department of Labor’s Consumer Price Index (CPI-W).
The CPI-W rose this year. When inflation increases, your cost of living also goes up. Prices for goods and services, on average, are a little more expensive. Since the CPI-W did rise, the law increases benefits to help offset inflation. As a result, monthly Social Security and SSI benefits for over 65 million Americans will increase 0.3 percent in 2017.
Other changes that would normally take effect based on changes in the national average wage index will begin in January 2017. For example, the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security payroll tax will increase to $127,200.
Information about Medicare changes for 2017, when announced, will be available at www.Medicare.gov. For some beneficiaries, their Social Security increase may be partially or completely offset by increases in Medicare premiums.
You can find more information about the 2017 COLA at www.socialsecurity.gov/cola. For changes in the national average wage index, go to www.socialsecurity.gov/OACT/COLA/AWI.html.
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Tags: Cost of living adjustment, Medicare, SSI
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Doug Walker, Deputy Commissioner, Communications
Deputy Commissioner, Office of Communications
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Fred M.
The 0.0.3 increase is a FUCKING joke, u can stick it up your ASS!!!
Rich
Cost of living increase for 2017 is a real good joke
Louise
How can a 0.3% increase in benefits for 2017 end up an increase of $2.10 for everyone with that $2.10 being taken by the increase in Medicare of $2.10. Sounds like Medicare got the increase, not the beneficiary. Their increase was just added to our benefits to make us think we got an increase. Not one cent difference in our monthly payment. This is really a well done government prank again with beneficiaries as the losers. We are also in poverty level but no help is available from anyone for us. Just gets worse. We can’t even afford food any more.
Sandra
First of all our Social Security when down the tubes the minute these so called Politicians decided to begin using our hard earned monies for other things.. ie’ Disability…the need to find something else to fund these other programs!
Yes, I believe our Government should be on Social Security and adhere to minimum or no raise policy.
How can we get them to discontinue using our monies for these other programs and reimburse what they have stolen from us?
This 3% increase just isn’t enough. Especially the high cost of Medicare.. Of which the Government is not doing anything to put a cap on Hospital, Doctors, Insurance, Pharmaceuticals, etc. How about them taking this issue head on and put caps on all the abuse and high gouging costs these entities are forcing upon us!
Frustrated
We did not get a .3% increase. The same as last year. The increase went to Medicare. So there was not a cost of living increase for us.
Dee
Fellow Commenters, we have spent time writing our comments/complaints/views. Who is listening? Most of the comments here are legit and all are from the citizenry of this U.S.A. Who will respond to this? Do
the cares of the former/current/disabled/ main stream workers/ on Social Security even matter? Does any government force care that we are granted a pittance of a so-called SS benefit raise which we won’t even realize as an increase in our monthly checks. Does it even matter that the amount of years we have spent working/serving this country through our labor will amount to receiving our just due in the form of a decent benefit? Who will “lobby” this injustice? Does Congress even care?
John
No
MrBubble
Are you listening Ray? Hello… Hello
C. C.
The increase in cola that civil service employees receive is the same as the increase in the social security cola.
Sandra
All I can say is that Trump will make America broke again!
Dee
Sandra, you must a New Yorker and know just who that man really is. The complaints here now will pale greatly when he finishes with us “just-getting-by-citizens”.
Jan V.
you fucking crooks! All the money u have taken from me since i was 16 and now I get a dollar? Do u think u will get by with this? I got zero for all the years I worked and paid into your system. you stole from me and gave me nothing! A dollar? And u trusted me with your top secret black hole projects? I hope there is some one who will buy my knowledge.
ben
COLA RAISE. Some more FLIM FLAM from THEM. THEY say that you are going to get a RAISE in your SS check. Then you get the official notice in the mail and LO and BEHOLD there is no raise and your lucky your going to get the same payment, because SUPRISE they RAISED your MEDICARE DEDUCTION. WOW they did it again with a SMILE.