Social Security asking for pension COLA info - how to report this change?

yep they need to know the COLA change. i went thru this last yr. if ur pension affects ur SS (like with WEP or GPO) they need to know the new amount. I think u can upload the info to mysocialsecurity acct online or mail a copy of ur pension statement to local office.

Yes, you are required to report any changes to your pension amount, including COLA increases. This is because your Social Security benefit may be subject to the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) or Government Pension Offset (GPO) depending on your situation. You have several options to report this: 1. Upload a copy of your updated pension statement through your MySocialSecurity account (look for the "Message Center" or "Report a Change" section) 2. Fax the information to your local office with your Social Security number clearly marked 3. Mail it to your local office with a cover letter explaining it's a pension COLA update 4. Schedule an appointment for a phone call through the SSA website rather than waiting on hold If you don't report the change, it could potentially result in an overpayment that you'd have to pay back later.

I had the exact same issue last month!! I ended up just mailing a copy of my updated pension statement to my local office with a note explaining it was just the annual COLA increase. Haven't heard anything back yet so I assume it's fine? 🤷‍♂️

I went through this EXACT headache last year with my police pension COLA. Trying to get through to SSA was IMPOSSIBLE!!! Called literally 37 times over 3 days and either got disconnected or was on hold forever. Complete nightmare!!!! Finally I used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual agent in about 20 minutes. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU showing how it works. The agent confirmed I could just fax the updated pension statement to my local office with my SSN and a note explaining it was a COLA increase. Saved me so much frustration!

This is a common reporting requirement if your Social Security benefits are affected by either the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) or Government Pension Offset (GPO). The most accurate method is to call and report the change, but I understand the frustration with wait times. If your MySocialSecurity account doesn't show an option to report pension changes (they've been updating the interface), you can use the general message feature to report the change. Include your updated pension amount, the date of change, and that it was a COLA increase. Alternatively, you can mail documentation to your local office, but I recommend sending it certified mail with return receipt requested so you have proof of delivery. If your pension COLA was less than 5%, some agents might tell you it's not significant enough to affect your benefits, but technically any change should be reported.

Thanks everyone for the advice. I tried that Claimyr service mentioned above and actually got through to SSA this morning! The agent said for my situation (I'm affected by WEP), I need to send a copy of my updated pension statement showing both the previous amount and new amount after COLA. She said I could either upload it through my MySocialSecurity Message Center (she walked me through where to find it) or fax it to my local office. She also made a note in my file that I called about this. Feeling much better now that I know what to do!

Great to hear you got through and got clear instructions! For others reading this thread, I want to emphasize what @NightOwl42 said about keeping copies. I've been dealing with SSA for years and documentation is EVERYTHING. When you upload through the Message Center, take a screenshot showing it was successfully submitted. If you fax, keep the transmission report. And always note down the date, time, and name of any agent you speak with. SSA's record-keeping isn't perfect, so having your own paper trail can save you major headaches down the road if there are any disputes later.