The Social Security cost of living adjustment a cola is typically between 1 to 3% per year. You don’t apply for it. It happens automatically. If you’re drawing any type of Social Security benefit, you will automatically see the higher benefit in your January check. These cost-of-living adjustments happen most but not every year. The government’s intent was for Social Security to keep pace with inflation which it doesn’t really do, but they tell us that it does. Actual inflation that impacts reti