Confused about COLA increase on SS benefits before turning 62 in 2025

COLAs apply to your benefit calculation even before you claim. The SSA applies COLAs to your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) calculation starting at age 62, even if you wait until later to claim benefits. The increase you saw might be a combination of the COLA plus maybe additional earnings being included in your record? Did you have higher income recently that might have replaced a lower earning year in your calculation?

your benefit estimate changes for lots of reasons not just cola. did u check ur earning record to make sure its all correct? thats what determines ur benefit amount

To directly answer your question: Yes, you will receive the benefit of COLA increases once you turn 62, even if you don't start collecting benefits until later. The COLA adjustments become part of your benefit calculation from age 62 onwards. However, the increase you saw on your statement could be due to multiple factors: 1. Recent higher earnings replacing lower earnings in your 35-year calculation 2. Wage indexing adjustments (different from COLA) 3. Corrections to your earnings record If the increase was around 3.1%, that matches the 2023 COLA. But if it was significantly higher as you mentioned, it's likely a combination of factors. You can verify exactly what changed by checking your detailed earnings history on MySocialSecurity and comparing it to previous statements.

I had a similar confusion last year before I turned 65!! The SSA website is confusing and when I called to ask questions I was on hold FOREVER and then got disconnected twice. So frustrating!!!

The COLA is applied to your benefit amount starting at age 62, regardless of when you actually claim. But remember that the COLA is just one piece of the benefit calculation puzzle. Your benefit estimate changes due to several factors: 1. Your recent earnings (especially if they're higher than earlier years) 2. Adjustments to the national Average Wage Index 3. Changes to the benefit formula itself 4. COLA increases once you reach 62 If your estimate increased by $130/month, that's much more than just the 3.1% COLA alone would account for. It's likely that your recent earnings improved your overall calculation.

To clarify the confusion: COLA definitely applies starting at age 62 regardless of when you claim benefits. This is explicitly stated in SSA's Program Operations Manual System (POMS). The way it works: Your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) is calculated at age 62 based on your earnings history. After that, COLAs are applied to that amount every year there's an increase - even if you're waiting until 67, 70, or any age in between to actually claim benefits. If you haven't reached 62 yet, your estimate might show projected COLA increases, but they haven't actually been applied to your record yet.

Thank you everyone for the helpful responses. I had no idea my benefit calculation was so complex! I'm going to check my earnings record and maybe try to speak with an SSA rep to fully understand my specific situation. This has been really educational - I appreciate all the explanations!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm in a similar situation (turning 62 next year) and had noticed my benefit estimate jumping around more than I expected. The explanation about multiple factors affecting the calculation - not just COLA - really clarifies things. I especially appreciate learning that COLA applies from age 62 even if you delay claiming. That's going to make my retirement planning much more accurate. Thanks to everyone who shared their knowledge here!

This is such valuable information! I'm 60 and have been watching my benefit estimates closely, trying to figure out when and how to claim. I had no idea that COLA increases would apply to my PIA starting at 62 even if I wait until my full retirement age to claim. This changes my calculations significantly - in a good way! One question: if I'm understanding correctly, does this mean that if I delay claiming until age 67, my benefits will have received 5 years worth of COLA increases PLUS the delayed retirement credits? That seems almost too good to be true, but based on what everyone is explaining here, that's exactly how it works? I'm definitely going to check my earnings record now too. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge - this thread has been incredibly educational!

This thread has been incredibly enlightening! I'm 58 and have been trying to understand how my Social Security benefits will be calculated. I had always assumed that COLA increases only applied once you actually start receiving benefits, so learning that they begin at age 62 regardless of when you claim is a game-changer for my retirement planning. The explanation about multiple factors affecting benefit estimates really resonates with me. I've noticed my annual statements showing different projected amounts, and now I understand it's not just about COLA - it's also about recent earnings potentially replacing lower-earning years in the 35-year calculation, wage indexing, and other adjustments. I'm curious - for those of you who have checked your detailed earnings records on MySocialSecurity, how easy is it to spot discrepancies? I've worked for about 15 different employers over my career, including some contract work, and I'm worried some earnings might not have been reported correctly. Any tips on what to look for when reviewing the record? Thanks to everyone who has shared their knowledge here - this community is such a valuable resource!

This discussion has been incredibly helpful! I'm 59 and approaching that crucial 62 age mark, and I had so many misconceptions about how COLA adjustments work. Like many others here, I thought COLA only applied once you actually started collecting benefits - learning that it applies to your PIA starting at age 62 regardless of when you claim is huge for retirement planning. I'm particularly interested in what Ingrid mentioned about checking earnings records. I've been with the same company for 25 years, so my situation is simpler than those with multiple employers, but I'm still concerned about making sure everything is accurate. The idea that recent higher earnings can replace lower earning years from earlier in your career is something I hadn't fully considered either. One thing I'm wondering - does anyone know how far back you should go when checking your earnings record? I assume the last 35 years are what matter most for the calculation, but should I be checking my entire work history just to be safe? This thread is a perfect example of why this community is so valuable. Thank you to everyone who has shared their knowledge and experiences!

This has been such an informative discussion! I'm 61 and will be turning 62 in about 8 months, so this timing is perfect for me. I had completely misunderstood how COLA works - I thought you had to actually be receiving benefits to get the increases. Learning that COLA applies to your PIA starting at 62 even if you delay claiming until later is incredibly valuable information for my retirement strategy. I've been debating whether to claim at 62, wait until my full retirement age at 67, or even delay until 70. Now understanding that I'll get COLA increases regardless of when I claim, plus delayed retirement credits if I wait, really changes the math in favor of waiting longer. The point about checking earnings records resonates with me too. I've had a mix of W-2 and 1099 income over the years, plus a few gaps when I was caring for family members. I should definitely log into MySocialSecurity and review everything before I turn 62 to make sure my benefit calculation is based on accurate information. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and knowledge - this community has taught me more in one thread than months of trying to decipher SSA publications on my own!

This thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm 63 and just started receiving benefits last month, and I wish I had understood all of this better before I claimed. Reading through everyone's experiences and questions really highlights how complex the Social Security system is. What strikes me most is how many of us had the same misconception about COLA increases only applying once you start collecting benefits. I actually made my claiming decision partly based on that incorrect assumption - I thought if I waited, I'd "miss out" on the annual COLA adjustments. Now I realize those increases would have been applied to my benefit calculation regardless of when I claimed. For those of you still in the planning stages, I'd strongly encourage you to take advantage of the knowledge shared here. Check your earnings records thoroughly, understand how COLA really works, and don't rush into claiming at 62 just because you're eligible. The delayed retirement credits combined with the COLA increases can really add up over time. One thing I learned after claiming is that once you start receiving benefits, you can still review your earnings record and request corrections if needed. So even if you've already started collecting, it's worth double-checking everything is accurate. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this discussion - even though I've already claimed, I've learned things that will help me advise friends and family who are approaching these decisions.