Aren’t inflation and increases in the cost of living pretty much the same thing? Social Security cost of living increases would be significantly smaller if inflation were lower.
(Yes, social security’s measure of inflation is poorly chosen for seniors’ expenses, ; yes, there is a lag between when prices increase and when social security checks increase, but I find that sentence very misleading. And yes, for many social security recipients that monthly check is a far more critical part of their total income than it is in my case.)
From a source I didn’t save, the CPI index for All Urban Consumers increased 9.1%. Many people for whom social security is important are urban. Many must also be rural, and some would be suburban, or whatever other categories exist.
Unfortunately the BLS website is down for maintenance until tomorrow, and most Google hits rely on it. (Including the link in my first post). But what is your point? In post 1 I suggested social security used a poor index. You suspect social security will track better with the general index? And for that matter, which do you consider the “general index”?
Based on a source I found now, the CPI-U (All Urban Consumers) which increased 9.1% in 2022 is the “most commonly used” CPI (whatever that means). I don’t know the code for the “all items” index.