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Tag: cost of living adjustment

  • Instant coffee prices are rising. Use this calculator to see other grocery prices

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    U.S. inflation rose 3% in September compared to a year ago, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest data. The report shows food items like instant coffee and beef are getting pricier. Instant coffee prices in September were about 22% higher than last year. Prices went up by 0.5% from August to September. Roasted coffee drinkers, however, saw slight relief as prices dropped 0.6%. The Consumer Price Index, released by the BLS, is a common measure of inflation, as it shows the change over time in the prices consumers pay for goods and services. Inflation increased slightly by 0.3% from August to September, coming in lower than economists had predicted.Overall, meat prices saw a monthly increase of 1.6%. The average price for ground beef reached $6.32 per pound, up 12.9% from the year before.The release of the September report was delayed due to the government shutdown and would normally have been released on Oct. 15. It is the only economic data the BLS has released amid the shutdown and is used by the Social Security Administration to calculate next year’s annual cost-of-living adjustment for benefits.The White House on Friday said it’s unlikely the BLS will release October’s CPI because of the shutdown. Some grocery items, like eggs and lettuce, saw a decrease in prices. Click on the grocery items below to add them to your cart and see whether the total cost of your list has gone up or down. The total cost is based on the average CPI prices from September 2024 to September 2025. PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=

    WASHINGTON —

    U.S. inflation rose 3% in September compared to a year ago, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest data.

    The report shows food items like instant coffee and beef are getting pricier. Instant coffee prices in September were about 22% higher than last year. Prices went up by 0.5% from August to September. Roasted coffee drinkers, however, saw slight relief as prices dropped 0.6%.

    The Consumer Price Index, released by the BLS, is a common measure of inflation, as it shows the change over time in the prices consumers pay for goods and services. Inflation increased slightly by 0.3% from August to September, coming in lower than economists had predicted.

    Overall, meat prices saw a monthly increase of 1.6%. The average price for ground beef reached $6.32 per pound, up 12.9% from the year before.

    The release of the September report was delayed due to the government shutdown and would normally have been released on Oct. 15. It is the only economic data the BLS has released amid the shutdown and is used by the Social Security Administration to calculate next year’s annual cost-of-living adjustment for benefits.

    The White House on Friday said it’s unlikely the BLS will release October’s CPI because of the shutdown.

    Some grocery items, like eggs and lettuce, saw a decrease in prices.

    Click on the grocery items below to add them to your cart and see whether the total cost of your list has gone up or down. The total cost is based on the average CPI prices from September 2024 to September 2025.

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  • Social Security Administration raises alarm over $600 payment increase scam

    Social Security Administration raises alarm over $600 payment increase scam

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    (NewsNation) — Unreliable websites claiming Social Security recipients will receive a $600 payment increase or get a new stimulus check this month are spreading misinformation, according to the agency.

    “Reports of a $600 payment increase are FALSE, please be aware and don’t fall for this stunt,” Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley said in a news release. 

    The agency didn’t specify how the rumor started, but NewsNation reviewed multiple fake news articles making the claim. One described the bogus payment as the “long-awaited $600 increase.”

    The false rumor gained so much traction that the Social Security Administration’s phone lines were slammed with more than 463,000 calls in a single day, O’Malley said.

    NewsNation identified other online articles falsely claiming Social Security recipients are set to receive new stimulus checks. That’s also untrue, a spokesperson for the Social Security Administration confirmed via email.

    Social Security-related scams are the number one government imposter scam in the United States and last year consumers reported losing more than $126.5 million to them, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

    Official announcements about changes to payments can be found on the government website. Individuals are also notified directly.

    When will the 2025 COLA increase be announced?

    The annual cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) for 2025 will be announced in October. Any changes will then appear in your check starting in January 2025.

    The latest estimate from The Senior Citizens League projects Social Security’s COLA will be 2.57% in 2025 but that isn’t set in stone. The final amount is calculated based on the average inflation rate from July to September, which is then compared to the same period the year before.

    “The annual cost-of-living increases issued by SSA are ALWAYS automatic. No additional information is required for you to receive the legitimate COLA increase,” Gail Ennis, the Social Security Administration’s Inspector General, said in a statement.

    When will I get my Social Security check in June?

    Some Social Security recipients saw a slight change in June. Typically, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments go out on the first of each month but because June 1 fell on a Saturday, those payments were sent on Friday, May 31. That doesn’t mean SSI recipients got an extra payment, instead, they just received it a day early.

    For others, here’s when you can expect your Social Security check, according to the agency’s schedule:

    • June 3: Payments for those who have received Social Security since before May 1997.
    • June 12: Payments for people whose birthday falls between the first and 10th of any given month.
    • June 18: Payments for people whose birthday falls between the 11th and 20th of any given month.
      • This is a day earlier than usual because Juneteenth is a federal holiday
    • June 26: Payments for people whose birthday falls between the 21st and 31st of any given month.

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    Andrew Dorn

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