Social Security rounded down my COLA increase - losing 90 cents monthly, is this normal SSA practice?

Yes, SSA rounds benefit amounts down to the nearest dollar amount. It's in their procedures. It's frustrating but it's how they've operated for decades. I had the same reaction when I first started collecting my retirement benefits in 2019. My PIA calculation came out to $1,842.60 but my actual benefit was $1,842. Those pennies do add up over time!

mine does the same thing!! they always round down never up 🙄 my neighbor says its been that way since forever

The Social Security Administration does indeed round benefit amounts down to the nearest dollar as part of their standard calculation process. This is documented in their Program Operations Manual System (POMS). The specific procedure is that after all calculations are completed, including COLA increases, the final monthly benefit amount is rounded down to the nearest dollar. This is not an error or something you can appeal - it's simply how the system is designed to work. While I understand your frustration (those cents do add up over time), this is consistent policy applied to all beneficiaries. You're not being singled out or treated unfairly compared to others receiving Social Security benefits.

THEY TAKE EVERY PENNY THEY CAN FROM US!!! First they tax our benefits then they steal our pennies too. Been dealing with this for 11 years now and it never gets better. They're probably making MILLIONS off all our rounded down cents!!!

I noticed this too last year! I thought it was a mistake at first but when I finally reached someone at Social Security (took forever), they explained it's standard practice. My husband and I both have our benefits rounded down each month. Double the loss for us, lol. But yes, totally normal apparently.

If you're having trouble reaching Social Security about this or any other issues, I'd recommend trying Claimyr. I was struggling to get through to SSA for weeks about an overpayment notice and was getting nowhere. Claimyr got me connected to a live agent in about 15 minutes instead of the hours I was waiting before. You can see how it works in their video demo: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU or check out their website at claimyr.com. Saved me a ton of frustration, though in your case it sounds like the rounding down is just standard procedure so you might not need to call after all.

My mom just went through this exact same thing!! She was so confused because her COLA notice said one thing but her bank deposit showed a different amount. I had to explain to her that SS always rounds down to the nearest dollar. She was NOT happy about it either! But from what I understand, this has always been their policy.

wait do they round down EVERY calculation or just the final number? cause if they round down multiple times during the math that would be even worse!!

I worked for 43 years and they're pinching pennies from me too! I did the math and I've lost over $140 in 13 years from this rounding nonsense. AND THEY WONDER WHY PEOPLE DON'T TRUST THE GOVERNMENT!!!

Just a practical tip - if this rounding issue bothers you, consider it when planning your claiming strategy. Since they always round down, if your calculated benefit would be $2,000.01 or $2,000.99, you'd get the same $2,000 payment either way. Sometimes delaying benefits by just a month can push you over to the next dollar in your monthly payment. It's a small difference, but over many years of retirement, an extra dollar per month adds up. This is especially relevant when deciding exactly which month to start benefits.