No Cost-of-Living Adjustment for 2016
Reading Time: 1 MinuteLast Updated: March 17, 2021
Social Security’s annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is an increase in the benefit amount people receive each month. By law, the monthly Social Security and 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 has not risen since the last cost-of-living adjustment in 2015. As a result, your SSI benefit rate and, for most people, your Social Security benefit amount will stay the same in 2016.
This news isn’t necessarily bad. When inflation stays at the same rate, your cost of living also stays the same. Prices for goods and services, on average, haven’t increased enough to affect the COLA.
Other changes that would normally take effect based on changes in the national average wage index also won’t begin in January 2016. Since there is no COLA, the statute also prohibits a change in the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax, as well as the retirement earnings test exempt amounts. These amounts will remain unchanged in 2016. The new fact sheet provides more information on 2016 Social Security and SSI changes.
For additional information about the 2016 COLA, go to www.socialsecurity.gov/cola.
For additional information about 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, Disability, Medicare, SSA, SSI
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Jim Borland, Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Communications
Jim Borland, Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Communications
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MJean
The cost of living has INCREASED, but fuzzy math does Not show, because costs of Food and Energy are Not included.
This deception equals government abuse of the elderly and disabled by deceiving us!
Can we live without food and energy?
DAVID K.
I served 45 years in serving the United States and now am getting messed over by the United States. I served 25 years in the military and 20 years in civil service. I have ran into 2 very bad situations I do not think is right. After serving and paying Social Security over those 45 years the Social Security rules say unless my wife is a United States Citizen she cannot claim from my Social Security. I think I earned it and my wife should be able to claim it when she turns 65.There are others that have not served and wives have not worked at all and are allowed to draw on their husbands Social Security. Would you please help me with this?
My second request I am requesting help with is my wife will be able to claim the military SBP but the draw back is Social Security will take out 30% tax on it. I think that is a big exuberant, don’t you.
Thank you very much for any help you can give me!!
David Knutson
lynn
yes it is unfair, however be happy with what we get stop complaining about what we dont. our ancestors were illegal immigrants at one time so how is that different now?
Kris
Are you serious, just because a census shows one thing, does not mean, as everyone is saying. Food, scripts no longer covered, co-pays. Even the SSA has said this is not to replace an income. We have not had a significant increase in years. We did not deplete the account. It is sad we must continue to struggle through 2016.
jo
If you don’t like this country, move to one that you like better.
Unless you are a native American Indian your ancestors were once immigrants.
lynn
i agree
Debra
well its NOT like we are getting or ever get more than 10.00 increase anyway.. W T F… all you people get increases… I have to work just to pay rent!!!! and I am ON RETIREMENT !!!! figure.. nothing the government does surprises me… helll they don’t even pay for my medication that is a Rx from my DR for weight loss.. and its not like I weigh 125 !!!! this is all bullshit with the government!!!!!
Steven W.
Oh really the Cost Of Living has not increased? Then why are we paying more money when we go grocery shopping. We cannot afford eggs at over $3.00 a dozen, Beef is sky high Pork is going up and who can afford Turkey? Think they need to be in our footsteps and look through our eyes to see the difference. But hell no bring in more damn Muslims and put them on food programs and on Welfare. Our country is so damn messed up with BARACK HUSSIEN OBAMA.OUR MUSLIM PRESIDENT WHO DOESN’T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT AMERICA.
Barb
You can’t depend only on SS to fund your retirement. Be proactive in your retirement planning.
History Lesson on YourSocialSecurity Card
Just in case some of you young whippersnappers
(& some older ones) didn’t know this. It’s easy to
check out, if you don’t believe it. Be sure and show
it to your family and friends. They need a little history
lesson on what’s what and it doesn’t matter whether
you are Democrat or Republican. Facts are Facts.
Social Security Cards up until the 1980s expressly stated
the number and card were not to be used for identification
purposes. Since nearly everyone in the United States now
has a number, it became convenient to use it anyway
and the message, NOT FOR IDENTIFICATION, was removed.
Franklin Roosevelt, a Democrat, introduced the Social
Security (FICA) Program. He promised:
��
1.) That participation in the Program would be
Completely voluntary,
No longer Voluntary
2.) That the participants would only have to pay
1% of the first $1,400 of their annual
Incomes into the Program,
Now 7.65%
on the first $90,000
3.) That the money the participants elected to put
into the Program would be deductible from
their income for tax purposes each year,
No longer tax deductible
4.) That the money the participants put into the
independent ‘Trust Fund’ rather than into the
general operating fund, and therefore, would
only be used to fund the Social Security
Retirement Program, and no other
Government program, and,
Under Johnson the money was moved to
The General Fund and Spent
5.) That the annuity payments to the retirees would never
be taxed as income.
Under Clinton & Gore
Up to 85% of your Social Security can be Taxed
Since many of us have paid into FICA for years and are
now receiving a Social Security check every month —
and then finding that we are getting taxed on 85% of
the money we paid to the Federal government to ‘put
away’ — you may be interested in the following:
———— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— —-
Q: Which Political Party took Social Security from the
independent ‘Trust Fund’ and put it into the
general fund so that Congress could spend it?
A: It was Lyndon Johnson and the democratically
controlled House and Senate.
———— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— —
Q: Which Political Party eliminated the income tax
deduction for Social Security (FICA) withholding?
A: The Democratic Party.
———— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— —–
Q: Which Political Party started taxing Social
Security annuities?
A: The Democratic Party, with Al Gore casting the
‘tie-breaking’ deciding vote as President of the
Senate, while he was Vice President of the US
———— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— –
Q: Which Political Party decided to start
giving annuity payments to immigrants?
AND MY FAVORITE:
A: That’s right!
Jimmy Carter and the Democratic Party.
Immigrants moved into this country, and at age 65,
began to receive Social Security payments! The
Democratic Party gave these payments to them,
even though they never paid a dime into it!
———— — ———— ——— —– ———— ——— ———
Then, after violating the original contract (FICA),
the Democrats turn around and tell you that the Republicans
want to take your Social Security away!
And the worst part about it is uninformed citizens believe it!
If enough people receive this, maybe a seed of
awareness will be planted and maybe changes will
evolve. from Marlene
Debra
So does this mean those on disability will not see an increase in 2016 also?
Sandy D.
You have that right!!
art
We get no COLA for 2016 and very little for the past several years and had to sacrifice during the recession while the big Banks and Corp. got bailed out.The only thing that has gone down is Gasoline and 2.00 a gallon is no bargain either,meanwhile we’re helping many countries out and getting involved in wars and spending billions on weapons.Congressman are getting their raises and plenty of vacations and doing a Crappy job which isn’t worth the pay they receive .Their certain people making millions of dollars off illegals by keeping them detained at crazy amounts per day to keep them for long periods of time what is their excuse to get a name and country where they’re from and deport them back to where they came from on jets and get first class service.One detaining place in south Texas made a 65 million dollar profit in one quarter which is better than some big corporations do in a year. Something funny going on and no one is getting to the bottom of it.Its called FRAUD. Same thing in the Medical industry FRAUD all over the place. Pharmas are charging crazy amounts for medicines and people are dying from side affects and no one goes to Prison for it just pay a FINE and everything is OK and forget about it until the next Drug comes out.The Bankers,Mortgage industry,Wall Street, Pharmas, Oil Companies and many others doing bad things and no one goes to JAIL.There is no JUSTICE. Who the HELL can you TRUST????This country needs to take care of law abiding AMERICANS and if there is any money left over then we can help those that need it the most but No lets screw the American people they get away with it anyways..Pay our Soldiers ,Policeman ,Fireman ‘Teachers and Medical personal and not our OVER paid congressman and Politicians that are already making more than they Deserve.