COLA Announced: Federal Retirement Annuities Will Rise in 2012
Federal retirees will receive a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to their civil service annuities beginning in January 2012. Retirees in the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) will receive a 3.6 percent increase to their annuities, while retirees in the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) will receive a 2.6 percent increase to their annuities.
To trigger a COLA for 2012, the average CPI-W for the months of July, August, and September of 2011 needed to rise above the 2008 average for those same months, the last measurement to trigger a COLA (for 2009). It did, by 3.6 percent. While CSRS retirees receive the full amount of the CPI-W increase as a COLA, current law reduces the FERS COLA by 1 percentage point for increases above 3 percent.
Because the CPI-W showed declining prices from 2008 to 2009, and while it showed prices increasing between 2009 and 2010, it did not show prices increasing back to 2008 levels, there has not been a COLA for the last two years. But finally, we have some good news for 2012!
Under current law, COLAs for federal retirement annuities, as well as for military retiree annuities and Social Security payments, are determined in reference to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), which is calculated by economists and statisticians with the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The CPI-W is the current index used for measuring increases in the prices of consumer goods throughout the economy. It includes prices on all consumer goods, including food and beverages, housing, clothing, transportation, medical care, recreation, education and communication, and more.
The new CPI-W figure for September 2011 was 223.688. The average CPI-W for the third quarter of 2011 was 223.233. This is the new reference figure for determining the 2013 COLA.
NARFE continues to support strong COLAs based on fair assessments of increases in consumer prices to protect the value of federal annuities from inflation.
source: NARFE
NALC: Letter carriers will get $978 COLA increase Effective Sept 10
September COLA announced: Letter carriers will receive their first cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in three years in September. The COLA will amount to 47 cents per hour ($978 annually). Contract COLAs, which have been provided by our collective-bargaining agreements since 1971, are based on changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) every six months. However, due to the recent recession—the worst since the Great Depression of the 1930s—the CPI has remained mostly flat, and as a result, no COLAs were paid over the past five adjustment periods. Thursday’s COLA, the fourth and final one under our 2006-2011 contract, covered about 60 percent of the price inflation observed between July 2008 and July 2011. The 47 cents per hour amounts to $37.60 per pay period, and it takes effect in Pay Period 20, which begins Sept. 10 (pay date Sept. 30).
Http://www.nalc.org
NALC: Latest COLA Stands At $1,019
PRNote: With one month to go,$1019 may be the second largest COLA in bargaining history
Ninth contract Cost Of Living Adjustment (COLA): $1,019 annually.
The projected accumulation toward the ninth and final contract COLA under the 2006-2011 National Agreement stands at $1,019 annually following the June release of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for May.
This final COLA of the National Agreement will be based on the July 2011 CPI.
2012 Retiree COLA: 3.4%
The projected accumulation for the 2012 retiree COLA was 3.4 percent following the release of the May CPI.
Because there was no retiree COLA for 2010 or 2011, the 2012 retiree COLA will be determined by comparing the average CPI during the third quarter of 2011 and the average during the third quarter of 2008.
Click here for further details about the retiree COLA.
2012 FECA COLA: 3.5%
Federal Employees Compensation Act (FECA) COLAs are applicable only in cases where death or disability occurred more than one year prior to the adjustment’s effective date.
The projected accumulation for the 2012 COLA under FECA was 3.5 percent following the release of the May CPI. The 2012 FECA COLA will be based on the increase in the CPI between December 2010 and December 2011.
source: NALC
NALC: Final Contract COLA Under 2006-2011 Agreement Stands at $832
The projected accumulation toward the ninth and final contract COLA under the 2006-2011 National Agreement stands at $832 following the May 13 release of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for March.
This final COLA of the National Agreement will be based on the July 2011 CPI.
2012 Retiree COLA: 2.9%
The projected accumulation for the 2012 retiree COLA was 2.9 percent following the release of the April CPI.
Because there was no retiree COLA for 2010 or 2011, the 2012 retiree COLA will be determined by comparing the average CPI during the third quarter of 2011 and the average during the third quarter of 2008.
2012 FECA COLA: 3%
Federal Employees Compensation Act (FECA) COLAs are applicable only in cases where death or disability occurred more than one year prior to the adjustment’s effective date.
The projected accumulation for the 2012 COLA under FECA was 3 percent following the release of the April CPI. The 2012 FECA COLA will be based on the increase in the CPI between December 2010 and December 2011.
source: National Association Of Letter Carriers
note: The APWU Ratified Contract Agreement waived COLAs for 2011 and deferred 2012 COLAs until 2013
NALC: Final Contract COLA Under 2006-2011 Agreement Stands at $561
From NALC: Ninth contract COLA: $561
The projected accumulation toward the ninth and final contract COLA under the 2006-2011 National Agreement stands at $561 following the April 15 release of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for March.
This final COLA of the National Agreement will be based on the July 2011 CPI.
2012 Retiree COLA: 2.1%
The projected accumulation for the 2012 retiree COLA was 2.1 percent following the release of the March CPI.
Because there was no retiree COLA for 2010 or 2011, the 2012 retiree COLA will be determined by comparing the average CPI during the third quarter of 2011 and the average during the third quarter of 2008.
2012 FECA COLA: 2.2%
Federal Employees Compensation Act (FECA) COLAs are applicable only in cases where death or disability occurred more than one year prior to the adjustment’s effective date.
The projected accumulation for the 2012 COLA under FECA was 2.2 percent following the release of the March CPI. The 2012 FECA COLA will be based on the increase in the CPI between December 2010 and December 2011.
source: National Association Of Letter Carriers
note: The APWU Tenative Contract Agreement waived COLAs for 2011 and deferred 2012 COLAs until 2013.
APWU: Final Cost of Living Adjustment Under 2006 Contract Is ZERO..Again!
In July, the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W) rose to 637.138, still well below the July 2008 index of 644.303 (upon which the last COLA increase was based). The CPI-W needed to rise above 644.303 before another COLA was due. After the final month of the six-month measuring period, the eighth and final COLA under the 2006 National Agreement and the Operating Services Agreement is zero. read more
Postal Workers Cost Of Living Adjustment Is ZERO..Again!
Last time Postal Workers received a COLA was September 19, 2008
In January, the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W) rose to 633.176, well below the July 2008 index of 644.303 (upon which the last COLA increase was based). The CPI-W must rise above 644.303 before another COLA is due. After the final month of the six-month measuring period, the seventh COLA under the 2006 National Agreement and the Operating Services Agreement which would have been effective March 13, 2010 (pay period 07-10, pay date April 2, 2010), will be zero
source: APWU