COLA, SSI

No Cost-of-Living Adjustment for 2016

October 15, 2015 • By

Reading Time: 1 Minute

Last Updated: March 17, 2021

pink piggy bank 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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About the Author

Jim Borland, Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Communications

Jim Borland, Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Communications

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Comments

  1. DAVE B.

    Why has SS benefits only gone up 2% while those on government benefits has risen to over 30% during the same period of time? Interesting!!!!!

  2. EMW

    I just heard on the news today SSI will be 3% aproxamly 5.00 you believe this ? and the medicare payment is going up 26% what!!! are these people crazy they sure get their raises every year and they have milons what about us we have to live off of 1284 at the most what can you buy whish I could get in congress I would fire them all and start over because they don’t know what cost of living is till there make as much as I sajest is to take all the people in congress and make them live off of what we do for 1 year ha ha then they might just know what we all feel

  3. Moneyman

    Get rid of everything you don’t need at home and you may have an extra $400 in your pockets. Cell phones, internet, cable, vehicles and so on.

  4. Moneyman

    I want the COLA raise, but knowing we may not get one doesn’t make me mad because I have a pension along with my social security, but I do feel for those that get $800 or less a month.

  5. Bill

    The increases (when we get them) COLA needs to be formulated a different way. How about having government officials try to live on $1,000 a month with no COLA and see how hard it is. Bet they would change COLA to a more decent amount to keep up with the high cost of everything.

  6. sandy

    I see many people who get food stamps and welfare who have government phones and then they have I phones from their boyfriends or drug dealers and this infuriates me because they think we owe them a cell phone. I know some people need the government phones and the food stamps. Does this bother anyone else. One phone does not make a difference but thousands of them do. What about money from ss for those who have earned it. Pennys lead to dollars

    • Anonymous W.

      um excuse me but if i didnt have a free phone thru lifeline program i wouldnt have a phone at all. You need to quit with your assuming crap. Some of us are not able to work ok? so lay off with the bs. ty.

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