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Can Social Security Benefits Keep Up With Inflation
Cost-of-living increases help in the long term but the short term is another story
E+ / Getty Images for more than a year, on everything from steak to gasoline. For retirees worried about paying soaring bills, a big question is whether their Social Security benefits will be able to keep up with inflation. The short answer: Probably. Social Security’s (COLA) has kept up well with inflation the past 20 years, according to the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. Still, concern among older Americans remains widespread. A found that 90 percent of people age 50 and older worry that Social Security benefits won’t keep pace with inflation. And, despite the that went into effect in January, many beneficiaries have lost buying power to this year’s hotter inflation burst, thanks in part to the large increase in Medicare Part B premiums. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Next year could be better, however, with an , the largest benefit boost in more than four decades, coupled with . Annual adjustments
When the first Social Security check was issued in 1940, the payments were fixed: The amount of your benefit didn’t change from year to year unless Congress authorized a raise. In 1973, however, the Organization of Petroleum Exporters (OPEC) declared an oil embargo on the United States and other countries, which sent gas prices through the roof and touched off a spike in inflation. The Consumer Price Index (CPI), the government’s main gauge of inflation, rose 6.2 percent in 1973 and 11.1 percent in 1974, sharply reducing the buying power of a Social Security payment. In response, Congress authorized automatic COLAs, which adjust Social Security benefits for inflation each year. The first automatic COLA, in 1975, was 8 percent. AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. . There was no COLA at all in 2009, 2010 and 2015 because inflation levels didn’t increase year over year. But by the spring of 2021, inflation had begun to resurface, and SSA announced a 5.9 percent COLA for benefits paid in 2022. It was the largest COLA since 1982’s 7.4 percent increase, and the 2023 COLA is even larger. Groceries 20% off a Freshly meal delivery subscription See more Groceries offers > Still behind in the short term
While relatively big, the 2022 COLA didn’t completely cover this year’s increase in inflation. The CPI-W has topped 8 percent in each of the first nine months of 2022, peaking at 9.8 percent in June, and making the 5.9 percent Social Security COLA look small in comparison. Some categories that are important to have risen the most. The price of gasoline, for example, jumped 18.2 percent in the 12 months ended in September (although pump prices have declined from summer highs), and food rose 8.2 percent, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. Costs for medical services were up 6.5 percent. Furthermore, the basic Medicare Part B premium, typically , jumped to $170.10 a month from $148.50 in 2021, a 14.5 percent increase. A big chunk of the 2022 Part B premium increase was tied to anticipated spending on a pricey new Alzheimer’s drug, Aduhelm. However, after Medicare announced the premium hike, the price tag for Aduhelm was cut in half by the drug’s maker. Medicare is passing along those savings to consumers, cutting the basic Part B premium to $164.90 for 2023. but keeping up with inflation in the long term
Over time, however, Social Security COLAs have kept up with inflation well, says Alicia Munnell, director of the Center for Retirement Research. The COLA lags inflation when prices are rising, but it lags when inflation is moderating, too. Unlike gas prices, which are quick to rise and slow to fall, Social Security payments are slow to rise and slow to fall, too. AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. , says AARP, and that is why it has fought so hard against repeated efforts to cut the COLA. Without the annual adjustment, seniors would see their benefits erode over time, and they would fall further and further behind. The COLA is a virtual lifeline for seniors, and that is especially true in periods of high inflation. John Waggoner covers all things financial for AARP, from budgeting and taxes to retirement planning and Social Security. Previously he was a reporter for Kiplinger's Personal Finance and USA Today and has written books on investing and the 2008 financial crisis. Waggoner's USA Today investing column ran in dozens of newspapers for 25 years. More on retirement AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Finances offers > See more Vision Benefits offers > See more Retirement offers > See more Technology & Wireless offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS