Social Security benefits increase by 8.7 percent to account for inflation


The Social Security Administration has announced an 8.7 percent increase in benefit checks for seniors in 2023 in response to rising inflation. This is the largest increase in the last 40 years. This change is known as a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), explains The Washington Post.
The adjustment will affect 70.3 million Social Security beneficiaries and will provide about $145 more per month on average, the Post continues. The last time the adjustment was this large was in 1981 when the COLA was 11.2 percent. Along with check increases, the Medicare Part B premium will also be $5.20 lower than last year, a value that is automatically deducted from benefit checks, CNBC reports. This means that beneficiaries get to keep almost all of the COLA, which will help with rising prices due to inflation.
Social Security is the most common income source for the elderly in the United States. Rapid price increases are reducing the value of each check, requiring COLA, however, these adjustments are also straining Social Security's resources. With each adjustment, the program becomes more likely to be exhausted entirely, reports the Post.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Social Security Board of Trustees reported in June that Social Security will be able to pay full benefits through 2035, after which it will be able to pay 80 percent of benefits. However, higher wages may lead to more taxes being put into the fund, offsetting the depletion, continues CNBC.
AARP executive Jo Ann Jenkins said the adjustment "helps ensure the benefit does not erode over time due to rising prices."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.
-
Exurbs: America's biggest housing trend you haven't heard of
Under the Radar Northeastern exurbs were the nation's biggest housing markets in 2024
-
Visa wants to let AI make credit card purchases for you
The Explainer The program will allow you to set a budget and let AI learn from your shopping preferences
-
A newly created gasoline giant in the Americas could change the industry landscape
The Explainer Sunoco and Parkland are two of the biggest fuel suppliers in the US and Canada, respectively
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirement
speed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement
-
Trump calls Amazon's Bezos over tariff display
Speed Read The president was not happy with reports that Amazon would list the added cost from tariffs alongside product prices
-
What is the job market's future after Trump's tariffs?
Talking Points Economic analysts are split on what the tariffs could mean for employees
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Discount stores were thriving. How did they stumble?
The Explainer Blame Walmart — and inflation