{
  "id": 12662942,
  "title": "Social Security COLA Forecasts Predict Biggest Boost Since COVID",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/social-security-cola-forecasts-predict-biggest-boost-since-covid",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-10-07T15:49:42.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Newsweek",
    "slug": "newsweek",
    "url": "https://www.newsweek.com/social-security-cola-forecasts-predict-biggest-boost-since-covid-12534695"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Social Security recipients are set to receive their largest annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) since the post-COVID inflation surge, with forecasts predicting a 3.5 to 3.6 percent increase in 2027. The official COLA will be announced on October 14 following the Bureau of Labor Statistics' final inflation figures. This would be an increase from the 2.8 percent COLA received in 2026 and the largest adjustment since the 8.7 percent increase in 2023. The COLA calculation uses the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), which compares the average CPI-W for July, August, and September with the same three months in the previous year. The higher forecast reflects stronger-than-usual inflation throughout 2026, driven by factors such as higher energy prices due to the Middle East conflict and persistent price growth in services. The average Social Security benefit in August was $2,087.52 per month, with a 3.5 percent COLA adding about $73 to monthly checks and a 3.6 percent increase adding roughly $75.",
  "summary": "Forecasters expect the COLA to boost benefits by around 3.5 to 3.6 percent in 2027.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}