Social Security COLA Announced at 3.6% as Advocates Warn of Potential Cuts

Providence New Bedford, RI, October 16, 2026 —

A recent announcement in Providence-New Bedford detailed a 3.6% Social Security cost-of-living adjustment, a figure slightly below the September inflation rate of 3.7%. The announcement’s date and source were not provided in the available information.

The adjustment is intended to help benefits keep pace with rising costs for essentials, according to the trend summary. The comparison with September’s inflation rate places the announced adjustment below that reported rate. The information provided does not specify which September the inflation figure refers to or give further details about how the two percentages were calculated.

Organizations including AARP are advocating to protect the COLAs. They warn that proposed changes to the calculation could significantly reduce benefits for retirees in Rhode Island and across the country. The summary does not identify the proposed changes, who is considering them, or when they might take effect, and it provides no estimate of the potential reduction in benefits.

The issue matters to retirees who rely on Social Security adjustments to help keep pace with rising costs for essentials. However, the available information does not provide details about the announcement’s broader policy context, the specific groups that would be affected, or the projected impact on individual benefit amounts. It also does not include statements from government officials or other organizations. Those details remain unspecified in the information provided.

Story summarized from the original created by Catherine Taylor on rhodeislandcurrent.com, see more information here.

Media gallery