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. Sandra K.

    I have not the slightest idea where you get your statistics but can assure you it is not from our country. Most Seniors in 2016 will pay increases in food, health care, rent, taxes, and every day living costs. STOP using our SS we earned for people who did not earn it and robbing the people who worked hard to earn SS. We always had to pay taxes now why does the government not give true statistics? Stop lying to the elderly, we may be old but not stupid.

  2. Carl C.

    With this announcement you would think there is a Republican in the White House

    • Paul

      The guy in the White House has nothing to do with it. Blame the Rethuglican far-right Christians in congress. Then go out and vote for Bernie Sanders.

      • Ron B.

        Socialisium is what caused this in the first place. Take from those who worked for it and give to those who didn’t . You need to vote Trump if you want this stuff stopped. Remember, you paid into the system, now you want to give it to those who didn’t. Makes no scence to me????

        • gary

          Capitalism causes the disparity of the rich controlling the government. The whole idea is greed, get mine, screw everyone else

          • gary

            http://commons.commondreams.org/t/why-so-many-americans-defend-the-failed-capitalist-experiment/13113

          • MJean

            Communist Hogwash!
            It will make the g on your name even smaller.

          • Bill

            Socialists keep the poor poor and dependent on them, thus getting their vote!!!

          • matbw8

            Look up the definition of socialism! You are so wrong! You are talking about an oligarchy! An oligarchy is government by the few, especially despotic power exercised by a small and privileged group for corrupt or selfish purposes, a form of government in which all power is vested in a few persons or in a dominant class or clique. An oligarchy EXCLUDES ANYONE OUTSIDE the seat of power- exactly what the GOP wants (our GOP congress bought and paid for by corporations and the 1%)!
            Socialism is a political and economic theory of social organization that advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. Socialism is inclusive.
            You cannot argue sensibly until you can correctly define terms.

          • Bill

            Union of Soviet Socialists Republic, ring a bell with any of you liberals? Some Democrats are truly unaware, but most liberals know exactly what the liberal agenda is……they want the government to be in control of everything, and over all our lives; they’ve gotten a long way toward that agenda with Obamacare. I hope all that believe in the Bible, our constitution, and our country’s Judeo-Christian founding wakes up and steer our country back to greatness. God is still in control and will right the wrong!

          • Kate R.

            Yes, because God has done such a great job so far. Read the news why don’t you.
            All you’ll see is tragedy. Read ALL of the Bible and then quote the parts that will horrify most people.

          • Jim

            Do not blame God or the bible! God instilled in us the difference between good and bad. But God also gave us the freedom to act on our own. Some of us love God and try to do good. Others, well lets just say, God is the only judge, and He WILL judge them!

        • Bill

          Smells to me as well!

        • matbw8

          Wrong! Look up the definition of ‘socialism’! It means the exact opposite of what you wrote.
          It is a political and economic theory of social organization that advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole- not by corporations and the 1%. You are fooling yourself if you buy into GOP lies!

        • Barb

          So true.

          • Barb

            So true, Ron B

        • Barb

          True. Ron B. Those who wish for socialism/communism need to read some history. Capitilization made us the best country ever, up until lately..SMH

        • Sandra C.

          I agree – vote for Donald Trump for President! Hillary is just more Obama crap!

      • April

        Really!

        • April

          I agree with you Ron B. Trump knows his business and says what he wants. These politicians all they want to do is tell us lies to get into office and never full fill their promises and fill their pockets and the heck with the rest of us.

  3. Marie

    I live on $716.00per month from Social Security. Food Stamps $194.00 per month. Not incuding cell phone life insurance. There is absolutely no room for games over my life or anyone elses. Fon’t you get it we are struggling to live without stealing or lieing to get blood out of anyone. Point bring made is why would the government insist on making these rules that are not realistic for anyone but the rich. Because the middle class does not exsist any longer. Does’nt anyone in the government hear the cries of this nation? Giving me a little bit of an increase does not matter at this point. My heaf is under the water as it is. Might as well finish the job. Thank you to the government for the nsil in the coufin.

    • Jan L.

      What BS! Whoever thinks the cost of living hasn’t increased is smokin’ something funny. Food, clothes, entertainment, services, everything except gas is going up by leaps and bounds.

    • Cosme

      Food Stamps? What is that since we have never received free food?

  4. Eliot W.

    For many years we were told that food was expensive due to the high cost of fuel. Now that the cost of fuel has gone down, food is more expensive than ever. I feel that we were all misled.

    • Jan L.

      I totally agree with that point.

  5. Marie M.

    Are you kidding me as usual we suffer for the illegal aliens you insist on paying for . All the people that have been allowed to get disability that should not also cuts into our social security. And to top it off medicare as of 2016 will go up another 60 dollars to each of us as the flippin presidents obama care. I am so fed up with all the people in washington. And knowing that AARP is not fighting for us is another thorn in my side. I have worked since i am 13 and now you tell me oh that is an entitlement let me tell you my paycheck each payday was hit by ss. to pay for my retirement where did that go. Oh and the money the government borrowed and never gave back to ss where is that.? So over this system . If people do not wake up soon we will be all given a choice to live or just pass on. Fed up in America. Want my country back the way it should be.

    • gary

      illegal immigrants, they aren’t from Mars, that I know of. But you add up all the “benefits” they get versus the low paying jobs they do that benefit us all and we win.
      Bush’s illegal war cost trillions and thousands of our soldiers lives and look where Iraq is now, worse than before. And Bush signed the order to make the withdrawal that Obama had to abide with.
      Term Limits on ALL politicians, was not meant to be a lifetime career, but “term” to serve the country, then return to private life.

    • Kathy

      SS is not an entitlement. We worked and paid into it all of our working years!

  6. Carol

    My question is how do we change this “law” that sets the cost of living to something much more realistic? How can anyone, living in this United States, say that the cost of living has not risen in the last year? Actually with the raise in health insurance costs we’ll be living on less. Will we be able to go back to paying what we did last year for our utilities without having them turned off? Can we tell the checker in the grocery store that we’re only going to pay what we did last year for that loaf of bread or gallon of milk and be able to walk out of the store with it? Ridiculous? Of course. Just as ridiculous as saying the cost of living hasn’t risen!

  7. Linda T.

    What a bunch of B.S.! EVERYTHING except gas has gone up and it is a sad time when middle class income households have to rely on food banks and/or family and friends just to survive!

  8. Fed U.

    Cynical justification, plain and simple., some rigged formula cooked to come up with this BS..! Ah, but hundreds of millions of dollars promptly dispensed open-handed on poorly controlled Medicare fraudulent claims, Billions of dollars wasted on corrupt war-on-terrorism deals in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, you name it. So the U.S. Govt says, ‘Let’s make up a bit here by screwing old-times. no sweat. ‘

    • Fed U.

      Correction “old-timers” not “old times”

      • Whitney D.

        This is all a bunch of bullshit. Medicare covers less than it did. I just had extensive surgery which will more than likely cost over $100,000. Medicare will whittle that down. I’ll have to pay 20% of whatever they decide to pay. Yet I will not get a cost of living increase to help me pay for this. Close our borders!!!! Stop helping other Countries and concentrate on American citizens!!!! Our forefathers built this Country. Gas may have gone down however, food has gone up! Everything has gone up! HELP US!!!

  9. sandra

    Someone has to pay for obama’s billion dollar plus trip to his hometown in Africa.

  10. NAA

    Have you tried to buy any meat lately? Nothing fancy, just ground beef?

    • Bill

      And look at how much ground beef costs; they ought to kiss us, they’re doing everything else to us!

Comments are closed.