Business, Economy, 5 min read

‘I’m strapped every month.’ Seniors struggle as inflation continues to outpace Social Security benefits

By Tami Luhby, Oct 13, 2026

Higher food prices are straining senior citizens’ budgets.Charly Triballeau/AFP/Getty Images

When Stephanie Zebrowski retired and started collecting Social Security in 2018, she was able to get by on her monthly payment with a little left over before the next one arrived.

That’s no longer the case. Zebrowski, who worked as a financial editor at a brokerage firm, now finds that the $2,200 monthly payment she receives (after her Medicare premiums are deducted) has not kept up with inflation in recent years. That’s forced the 75-year-old to drain her savings to pay for essentials – such as groceries, gas, doctors’ visits and utilities – and make some unpleasant decisions.

Zebrowski, who once considered herself middle class, started visiting a food bank last year and keeps her home colder than she’d like in the winter, even though it aggravates her arthritis and leaves her in pain. She’s had to start creating meals “out of practically nothing,” adding that she’s “learning to like beans.”

Stephanie Zebrowski’s cost of living is rising faster than the annual increase in her Social Security benefits. Courtesy Stephanie Zebrowski

“I’m strapped every month,” said Zebrowski, who lives in rural Jefferson, New York. “I’m spending almost every penny. It didn’t used to be that way.”

Like Zebrowski, many senior citizens are finding that their Social Security benefits are not keeping pace with the rising cost of living, especially in recent years. The payments are adjusted every year based on inflation, but many older Americans and their advocates have long said that the annual cost of living adjustment (COLA) formula doesn’t match the actual increase in expenses.

Read more: Senior citizens struggle as Social Security benefits fail to keep up with inflation – CNN Business

Continue/Read Original Article: Senior citizens struggle as Social Security benefits fail to keep up with inflation | CNN Business