Cost of Living Increase

Today I got a letter from Social Security telling me that my benefits will be increased beginning in January because Social Security is issuing a cost of living increase in the amount of 1.73%.  Now, I'm glad to get any kind of increase in my benefits, because indeed the cost of living does keep going up.  And there have been one or two years since I've been on SSDI that Social Security did not issue any cost of living increase whatsoever.  But here's the thing.  Do you think the cost of living really only goes up by 1.73% in a year?

When I was working as a social worker, we got an annual employer performance evaluation and a raise, every year.  At the agency where I worked, it was almost impossible to do so badly on your evaluation that you did not get any raise at all.  The raise was typically 3 to 5%.  One year, I got a 10% raise, and my supervisor told me he'd had to fight with human resources to get that for me, but I had worked really hard that year, including putting in a lot of extra hours for which I did not get paid (one of the many joys of being a salaried employee).  But my point is, even a mediocre employee at that agency got a 3% raise.

Yes, I realize my Social Security cost of living increase is not based on performance.  I didn't do anything to earn it, other than become disabled and work for a living prior to becoming disabled.  And I really am grateful for all the benefits that I receive.  I couldn't survive without them.

I guess I just felt the need to point out how small the cost of living increase is this year since there seem to be so many people that think it's fun and easy to live on disability benefits.