India, March 23 -- Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLA) are designed to help Social Security benefits keep up with inflation, ensuring that beneficiaries' purchasing power remains stable. However, as inflation levels fluctuate, the COLA for 2026 is expected to be smaller than in previous years, leaving many recipients facing a reduced increase in their benefits. This marks the first time since 2021 that retired workers have not received a larger pay increase.

The Senior Citizens League which is a nonpartisan advocacy group recently lowered its 2026 COLA forecast to just 2.2%, sparking concern among thousands of retired individuals. According to the Motley Fool report which surveyed retired workers, the COLAs 2024 and 2025 could not compensa...