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When did the old age pension increase? A look at history

The first automatic annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for U.S. Social Security benefits was issued in 1975, providing an 8% increase to combat rising inflation. This marked a major shift from previous years, when benefits only increased if and when Congress passed special legislation. The question of when did the old age pension increase involves understanding these regular, automatic adjustments and significant, legislated changes over the decades.