When will 2025 COLA increases show up on my Social Security account?
I keep checking my MySocialSecurity account to see the new COLA increase for next year, but nothing's changed yet. Does anyone know when the updated payment amounts with the COLA increase will actually appear on the SSA website? Will they send a letter first, or will it just show up online? This is my second year getting benefits and I really need to plan my budget. I'm trying to figure out if I should wait for the website to update or call them directly, but we all know how that goes...
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Isabella Silva
I think they dont update website til mid december but u get letter n mail earlier usually. at least thts how it happned 4 me last yr
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Malik Robinson
•Thanks! So the letter comes before the website updates? That's good to know. Did you get your letter in early December or November?
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Ravi Choudhury
The SSA generally updates the MySocialSecurity portal with new COLA amounts in early December, approximately 3-4 weeks before the new payment amount takes effect. You should receive a COLA notice by mail sometime in late November or early December that shows your new benefit amount. The notice will explain the COLA and how it affects your specific benefits. The 2025 COLA increase was announced in October, but it takes some time for SSA to calculate and update everyone's individual benefit amount based on their specific situation. If you haven't received your COLA notice by mid-December, then it might be worth contacting SSA.
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Malik Robinson
•Thank you so much for the detailed explanation! That makes sense. I'll keep an eye out for the letter and check my account in early December.
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CosmosCaptain
Does anyone else think it's RIDICULOUS they announce the COLA in October but we don't see it on our accounts until December?!! What exactly are they doing all that time? Running calculations on an abacus??? This is just another example of SSA's outdated systems making our lives harder!
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Freya Johansen
•It actually makes sense when you consider they're calculating adjustments for over 70 million beneficiaries across multiple programs (retirement, survivors, SSDI, SSI). Each person's amount requires individual calculations based on their work history, benefit type, and when they started claiming. They're also generating and mailing millions of personalized COLA notices during this period. The timeframe is reasonable given the scale.
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Omar Fawzi
Might depend on your benefit type too. I get SSDI and mine always shows up online before my mom's retirement benefit does. Not sure why though.
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Malik Robinson
•That's interesting! I'm on regular retirement benefits. I wonder if they roll updates out in batches by benefit type.
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Chloe Wilson
I had this exact same problem last year - needed to know the new amount for budgeting but couldn't get through on the phone to ask anyone. I ended up using Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got connected to a real agent in about 15 minutes who told me my new amount before it showed online. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Saved me hours of frustration with the busy signals and disconnects.
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Diego Mendoza
•Does that actually work? I've been trying to get through about my missing COLA letter for days!
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Chloe Wilson
•Yep! Way better than dealing with the constant busy signals. I was skeptical too but it connected me right away.
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Malik Robinson
I just checked my mailbox today and got my COLA notice! So for anyone wondering, mine came on November 24th. The website still hasn't updated yet though. The increase was a bit less than I expected based on the announced percentage...guess that's because of Medicare premium increases?
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Ravi Choudhury
•Yes, if you have Medicare Part B premiums deducted from your Social Security payment, the premium increase for 2025 will offset some of your COLA increase. The standard Part B premium went up by $12.40 this year, which will reduce the net increase you see in your monthly payment. Your COLA notice should break down both the COLA increase and the Medicare premium adjustment.
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