COLA: Latest Updates On Cost-Of-Living Adjustment 2025

For the more than the 70 million beneficiaries of the Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for 2025, nothing could be worth more than a ready update on the social safety net.

This is moreso, because the Social Security Administration (SSA) authorities also unveiled an “Action Plan that lays out SSA’s top priorities for the remainder of 2024 and points to the road beyond”, according to SSA Commissioner Martin O’Malley.

“Our Action Plan was the product of over 5,000 recommendations offered by employees from

the frontlines to the Regional Headquarters, as well as from a range of other internal and

external stakeholders. After a thorough review of everyone’s feedback, we boiled down the

most impactful things we could accomplish into 18 Quick Wins and 158 Leading Action”, he says.

Polls and personal interactions on the Cost of Living Adjustment have shown how important and how expectant potential beneficiaries are.

Having given their best when the physical strength and mental capacity was there, these multiplied million American beneficiaries certainly need social security safe net to fall back on, which is what the COLA is all about.

The Eagle reports that early in the month, Social Security Administration had taken another measure aimed at easing the process and hurdles of accessing it for those who qualify.

This it did by removing signature requirement for many of the forms that beneficiaries have to fill.

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“Today, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced progress this year to reduce customer burden by transitioning wet (physical) signature requirements to digital signatures for over 30 forms as well as removing the signature requirements altogether for 13 forms”, it said in a September 5 release sighted by our correspondent

These actions, it said, simplify application processes for people, including removing a potential reason for claims to be sent back or denied.

“Across forms that Americans use most often, we’re eliminating as many pain points as possible, from helping people sign at the click of a button to reducing the need to drive or mail something in whenever possible,” said Martin O’Malley, Commissioner of Social Security.

“This means faster and more error-free processing and better service for our customers, who deserve a government that meets their needs efficiently and effectively.”

As a result of this work, SSA will now allow an electronic signature rather than a wet signature for more than 30 forms, which make up 90% of the most commonly used forms by SSA customers in local field offices. Collectively, these forms represent about 14 million signed forms submitted annually, it informed further.

Among the several targets it set for itself for the year, the SSA asserts it has accomplished an impressive number to help make the Cost of Living Adjustment better for beneficiaries, some of which have been captured below:

1: Improve the Employee Experience By Streamlining Technician Tools and Processes

SSA has implemented Automated Medicare Process (AMP) for back-end processing of online Medicare claims. AMP will reduce processing time from 7 minutes to 7 seconds, free

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1. 2: Improve Employee Engagement (e.g., Transparent Communications, FEVS, WLB, Employee Recognition)

Improved overall Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) response rate through a targeted communication and marketing strategy, leading to the highest agency-wide participation rate since 2012. • Increased onsite presence for approximately 6,000 headquarters and regional employees (Employees in local offices increased their onsite presence starting in April 2022):

iii. Improve Recruiting, Hiring, and Onboarding to Energize the Workforce.

The 2024 funding level of $14.277 billion enabled Commissioner O’Malley to lift the agency-wide hiring

freeze and approve 1,600 critical hires for the teleservice centers (TSCs). We also authorized 1,290

field office hires, 600 hires for the State disability determination services, and 300 hires for our hearing

offices.

1. Strengthen Training to Better Equip Our Workforce

SSA provides continuing education opportunities including:

o-Virtual classes on the topic of “Problem Solving” for GS-11 and below employees, increasing bench

strength and skill for SSA. In fiscal year 2024, SSA provided over 900 employees with resources for

problem solving by hosting a flash mentoring event and several classes. SSA plans to continue these

efforts by hosting more classes.