COLA

Social Security Benefits to Increase in 2019

October 11, 2018 • By

Reading Time: 2 Minutes

Last Updated: November 3, 2023

man and woman on balcony outside smiling Each year we announce the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). Usually there is an increase in the Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefit amount people receive each month, starting the following January. By law, federal benefits increase when the cost of living rises, as measured by the Department of Labor’s Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).

The CPI-W rises when prices increase for the things the average consumer buys. This means that when prices for goods and services we purchase become more expensive, on average, the COLA increases monthly benefit levels and helps you keep up with the changing cost of living.

As a result, more than 67 million Americans will see a 2.8 percent increase in their Social Security and SSI benefits in 2019.

January 2019 marks other changes that will happen based on the increase in the national average wage index. For example, the maximum amount of earnings subject to Social Security payroll tax, as well as the retirement earnings test exempt amount, will change in 2019.

Want to know your new benefit amount as soon as possible? In December 2018, we will post Social Security COLA notices online for retirement, survivors, and disability beneficiaries who have a personal my Social Security account. You will be able to view and save these COLA notices securely via the Message Center inside my Social Security.

Be the first to know! Sign up for or log in to your personal my Social Security account today and choose email or text under “Message Center Preferences” to receive courtesy notifications so you won’t miss your electronic COLA notice!

This year, you will still receive your COLA notice by mail. In the future, you will be able to choose whether you receive your notice online instead of on paper. Online notices will not be available to representative payees, individuals with foreign mailing addresses, or those who pay higher Medicare premiums due to their income. We plan to expand the availability of COLA notices to additional online customers in the future.

You can find more information about the 2019 COLA here.

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About the Author

Jim Borland, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications

Jim Borland, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications

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Comments

  1. JOSEPH E.

    WHEN WILL I RECEIVE MY 2019 BENEFIT AWARD LETTER IN THE MAIL ?

    • R.F.

      Hello Joseph. In December 2018, Social Security COLA notices will be available online to most beneficiaries in the Message Center of their my Social Security.
      This is a secure, convenient way to receive COLA notices online and save the message for later. You will still receive your COLA notice by mail this year, but in the future you will be able to choose whether you receive your notice online instead of on paper. For more details about the new COLA, visit http://www.ssa.gov/cola.
      Thanks!

  2. sheila b.

    if I am only getting 387 a month what will I get in January 2019

    • R.F.

      Hello Sheila. During the month of December 2018, Social Security COLA notices will be available online to most beneficiaries in the Message Center of their my Social Security. For more details about the new COLA, visit http://www.ssa.gov/cola. Thanks!

  3. Claudette H.

    I have not received my COLA notice as of Dec 3, 2018. How may I obtain this information?

    • V.V.

      Hi Claudette. Your COLA notice will be available online in the Message Center of your my Social Security account in December 2018. Although you will still receive this COLA notice by mail this year, in the future, you will have a choice of online or paper notification.

      For more details, check out our Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Information web page.

    • Jone B.

      In my opinion, blog.ssa.gov does a excellent job of dealing with subjects of this kind! Even if sometimes deliberately contentious, the posts are more often than not well-written and stimulating.

      http://swish.st/86311

  4. MICHELLE R.

    I RECIVED A LETTER IN THE MAIL A COUPLE DAYS AGO. STATED I AM TO GET A 2 DOLLAR INCREASE IN MY SSI DUE TO COS OF LIVING. WHAT A SHAME YOU DO TO PEOPLE. 2 DOLLARS AVG TO NOTHING AND IS A EMBARRASSEMENT. YOU SHOULD HAVE KEPT THAT.

  5. Patricia L.

    hello, I have been trying to log in to my social security, but you can’t find me. I can’t seem to find a number to call. I have not received my new ss card with the new number, and I haven’t received my statement to see what I will be earning starting in January 2019. could you email me that statement?
    I would greatly appreciate it.
    Thanks
    Patricia Stiefel

    • V.V.

      Hi Patricia, thank you for your questions. Sorry to hear you are having difficulties accessing your my Social Security account. For assistance with your account, you may:
      •Call us at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. At the voice prompt, say “helpdesk”; or
      •Contact your local Social Security office.

      As far as receiving your new card with the new number, you may be referring to your new Medicare card. Your new card will automatically come to you. You don’t need to do anything as long as your address is up to date. Mailing takes time. Your card may arrive at a different time than your friend’s or neighbor’s.

      Your COLA notice will be available online in the Message Center of your my Social Security account in December 2018. Although you will still receive this COLA notice by mail this year, in the future, you will have a choice of online or paper notification.

      It sounds like you may need to update your mailing address. Check out our Frequently Asked Questions web page on how to change your address.

    • Svetlana D.

      6/11/2019 @ 3:22:15 PM Like the site– extremely user-friendly and much to explore!

      https://honourcall.tumblr.com/post/185520594273/tonsil-stone-links

  6. Jerry R.

    The biggest mistake the government makes in adjusting social security benefits is really not knowing the true increases in the cost of living. The year we got no increase in benefits BECAUSE there was NO cost of living increase my rent went up $40 and my electricity went up $60 and not long after gas went up about 13 cents a gallon.
    In the first place social security is so far behind times in being able to support a person without 2 to 4 people having to rent a place together that it’s just not funny. I believe that the people that adjust social security live for a year on the persons social security that only draws about $600 to $1000 per month. The lowest should be adjusted up to at least $1100 a month. Believe me we are at the mercy of the adjusters, that’s why some people are homeless, they can’t afford $1200 a month rent on $600 a month. Also the government should put a freeze on greedy landlords rent. It hasn’t been that long ago that the government put a freeze on several things and appointed an Insurance Commissioner to control Insurance and all that amounted to was Zero.Thanks for listening.

    • V.V.

      Hi Jerry, thank you for using our blog. By law, the Social Security Administration uses the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in the Department of Labor to calculate Cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs). Based on this year’s calculations, Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for nearly 67 million Americans will increase 2.8 percent in 2019.

      For more details, check out our Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Information web page.

  7. Colleen G.

    I need a sheet from social security saying how much will get taken out of my check for year 2019

  8. bettye c.

    I did not understand about the last question asked, that the reason why I had to not answer the question.

  9. Barbara J.

    When will the 2019 Social Security Benefit Award Letter become available to see?

    • V.V.

      Hi Barbara. Your COLA notice will be available online in the Message Center of your my Social Security account in December 2018. Although you will still receive this COLA notice by mail this year, in the future, you will have a choice of online or paper notification.

      For more details, check out our Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Information web page.

    • Hipolito S.

      Well-written piece. I just now forwarded this on 6/11/2019 to a colleague who’s been involved in a little research of her own on this topic. To say thanks, he just bought me lunch! So, let me express my gratitude by saying: Thanks for the meal!

      http://www.lookweb.it/54377

  10. Gordon S.

    I am tried to get my 2019 Benefit award letter for myself. All a get is a general write-up of the benefit increase. I can not locate a personal letter that is required for my insurance reimbursement. Please help. Thanks. Gordon.

Comments are closed.