Be sure and Vote –

Social Security Announces 3.6 Percent Benefit Increase for 2027

Baltimore, MD – The Social Security Administration (SSA) today announced a 3.6 percent benefit increase for 2027. Social Security benefits include Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI), and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). On average, Social Security retirement benefits will increase by $75 per month.

Nearly 72 million Social Security beneficiaries will see a 3.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) beginning in January 2027. Increased payments to about 7.3 million people receiving SSI will begin on December 31, 2026. (Note: Some people receive both Social Security benefits and SSI).

Projected standard Medicare Part B premium for 2027

The projected standard Medicare Part B premium for 2027 is $209.50 per month, according to the 2026 Medicare

The official 2027 FERS COLA is 2.6%, while CSRS retirees receive the full 3.6%.

Key facts at a glance

CSRS COLA (2027): 3.6%

FERS COLA (2027): 2.6% because FERS reduces COLAs by one percentage point when inflation exceeds 3%

Effective date: December 1, 2026 (first reflected in January 2027 payments)

• Social Security COLA: also 3.6% for 2027

Why the FERS COLA is lower

Federal law applies a three‑tier formula to FERS COLAs:

• If CPI‑W increase is over 3%, FERS COLA = CPI‑W − 1 percentage point
• The CPI‑W increase for 2027 is 3.6%, so FERS receives 3.6% − 1.0% = 2.6%.

This reduction does not apply to CSRS, which always receives the full CPI‑W‑based COLA.

Who receives the 2027 FERS COLA

FERS COLAs generally do not apply to retirees under age 62 on December 1 of the COLA year

Exceptions include:

• Survivor annuitants
• Certain disability annuitants
• Law enforcement officers, firefighters, Capitol Police, air traffic controllers
• Military reserve technicians separated due to loss of military membership

The FERS annuity supplement never receives a COLA

Earlier forecasts ranged from 3.2% to 3.6% depending on the model

Open season

The Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program, which includes the Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) Program, is the largest employer-sponsored health benefits program in the United States. It provides health insurance benefits to approximately 7.9 million Federal employees, U.S. Postal Service employees, certain Tribal employees, annuitants, and their eligible family members. The Federal Benefits Open Season for the 2027 Plan Year will be held from November 9 through December 14, 2026.

Southwest Coastal Area Local Retiree Chapter Meeting

The Southwest Coastal Area Local Retiree Chapter  next retiree chapter meeting will be on Wednesday, October 21, 2026 at the Denny’s located at Lincoln and Tustin streets in Orange, CA at 11 AM.  The retiree chapter will pay for a breakfast or lunch meal.

Denny’s Orange -1695 E LINCOLN AVE, ORANGE, CA 92865 – (657) 223-3390

Please RSVP at 714 206-2931 or bd62748@aol.co

Merry Christmas

Happy New Year

2026 will be an active year for APWU, AFL-CIO members and retirees.

The Southwest Coastal Area Local Retiree Chapters will have election in January.

The Southwest Coastal Area Local will have elections in March.
The California State APWU will have elections in May.

The California State APWU Retirees will have election in May.
The California State APWU will have a state convention in May.

The California State APWU Retirees will have a state convention in May.
APWU, AFL-CIO members and retirees  state convention in Sacramento, CA in May.
APWU, AFL-CIO members and retirees will have a National Convention in Los Angeles, CA in August.

Bobby Donelson
bd62748@aol.com
9692 Canton Avenue
Anaheim, CA 92804Cell: 714 206-2931

Date of Postal Strike – March 18-25, 1970.

Postal Reorganization Act -Public Law 91-375 – August 12, 1970

American Postal Workers Union formed – July 1, 1971

Southwest Coastal Area Local Chartered – August 1, 1973
Southwest Coastal Area Local Retiree Chapter Chartered – September 10, 2004

Retiree Chapter’s Web Site – https://swcalretirees.org/

The SWCAL Retiree Chapter Election will occur on Wednesday, January 21, 2026 during the the regular SWCAL Retiree Chapter Meeting.  

The meeting location is at Denny’s located at Lincoln and Tustin streets in Orange at 11 AM.  Denny’s Orange -1695 E LINCOLN AVE, ORANGE, CA 92865 – (657) 223-3390

Southwest Coastal Area Local Retiree Chapter Constitution Provision 

Article V Officers, Nominations, and Elections

 Section 1 Title and Terms of Elected Officers

 The Southwest Coastal Area Local Retiree Chapter Executive Board shall consist of the following officers: President, Treasurer, three (3) Trustees and shall be elected to three-year terms, beginning in April of 2005.

 Section 2 Nominations

 Nominations shall be made at the January membership meeting of the Southwest Coastal Area Local Retiree Chapter.

 Section 3 Eligibility

a)   To be eligible for office, a member must be in good standing preceding the nomination meeting as certified by the Treasurer of the Southwest Coastal Area Local Retiree Chapter.

b)   To be eligible to vote in an election of officers, a member must be in good standing for three months immediately preceding the election, as certified by the Treasurer of the Chapter.

c)   Once a retired postal employee accepts employment with the Postal Service, he/she is ineligible to be a member of the Retiree Department for that period. However, once a member retires again from the Postal Service, he/she is eligible to be a member of the Retiree Department without a waiting period.

 Section 4 Conduct of Election

 All regular elections shall be by secret ballot and held at the regular January Meeting and every three years thereafter. Nominations and elections of officers will take place at this meeting.

 Section 5 Vacancies

a)   The president shall fill all vacancies.

b)   Vacancies in any office shall be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term.

Southwest Coastal Area Local Retiree Chapter Meeting

The Southwest Coastal Area Local Retiree Chapter  next retiree chapter meeting will be on Wednesday, October15, 2025 at the Denny’s located at Lincoln and Tustin streets in Orange at 11 AM.  The retiree chapter will pay for a breakfast or lunch meal.

Denny’s Orange -1695 E LINCOLN AVE, ORANGE, CA 92865 – (657) 223-3390

Please RSVP at 714 206-2931 or bd62748@aol.co

NEW! When will a person see their Social Security benefit increase because of the Social Security Fairness Act?

Starting the week of February 24, 2025, SSA is beginning to pay retroactive benefits and will increase monthly benefit payments to people whose benefits have been affected by the WEP and GPO

If a beneficiary is due retroactive benefits as a result of the Act, they will receive a one-time retroactive payment, deposited into the bank account SSA has on file, by the end of March. This retroactive payment will cover the increase in their benefit amount back to January 2024, the month when WEP and GPO no longer apply.

Social Security benefits are paid one month behind. Most affected beneficiaries will begin receiving their new monthly benefit amount in April 2025 (for their March 2025 benefit).

Anyone whose monthly benefit is adjusted, or who will get a retroactive payment, will receive a mailed notice from Social Security explaining the benefit change or retroactive payment.

NOTE: A beneficiary may receive two mailed notices, the first when WEP or GPO is removed from their record, and a second when their monthly benefit amount is adjusted for their new monthly payment amount. They may receive the retroactive payment before receiving the mailed notice.

We have been able to expedite payments due to the use of automation. For the many complex cases that cannot be processed automatically, additional time is required to manually update the records and pay both retroactive benefits and the new benefits amount.

We urge beneficiaries to wait until April to inquire about the status of their retroactive payment, since these payments will process incrementally throughout March.

Beneficiaries should also wait until after receiving their April payment before contacting SSA to ask about their monthly benefit amount because the new amount will not be reflected until April for their March payment.

By how much may a person’s monthly benefit increase?

The amount monthly benefits may change can vary greatly. Depending on factors such as the type of Social Security benefit received and the amount of the person’s pension, some people’s benefits will increase very little while others may be eligible for over $1,000 more each month.