Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif., has introduced the Fair COLA for Seniors Act of 2021, which would require Social Security to use the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E) to calculate "a fairer cost of living adjustment" for seniors.
The bill, H.R.4315, introduced Thursday, would increase benefits and ensure that cost of living adjustments in Social Security "reflect the real rising costs for seniors and disabled Americans," Garamendi said.
From 1982 to 2011, CPI-E rose at an annual average rate of 3.1%, compared with 2.9% for the methods that are currently used, Garamendi said.
The COLA is calculated using the CPI-W, a consumer price index reflecting increases for urban wage earners and clerical workers that is based on a fixed market basket of goods and services. COLAs have surpassed 2% only twice since 2010.
Social Security and Medicare policy analyst Mary Johnson of The Senior Citizens League said on June 10 that the annual cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, for Social Security benefits in 2022 — usually announced in October — could be 5.3%, the highest since 2009, based on the most recent Consumer Price Index announcement. The CPI for July is scheduled to be announced Tuesday.
"Seniors and disabled citizens rely on Social Security benefits for a large portion of their income, and it's about time for Social Security benefits to reflect their lifestyles," Garamendi said in a statement. "Using a COLA that actually reflects how retirees spend their money — especially in health care — is a no-brainer that will increase benefits and make Social Security work better for the people it serves."
