At its February meeting, the OCERS Board of Retirement approved a 3% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for all retirees and eligible beneficiaries, with no remaining amount credited to the “COLA bank.”

Under Government Code section 31870, COLAs are applied each April 1 based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) as of January 1, with annual adjustments capped at 3.0%. For the Los Angeles Basin area, the CPI was reported at 3.16% and rounded to 3.0%, which supported the Board’s approval of the full 3% adjustment. As a result, the full increase will apply to retirement allowances.

This adjustment takes effect April 1, 2026, and will be reflected in retirement allowance payments beginning May 1, 2026, as benefits are paid in arrears. Members who retire on or before April 1, 2026, will receive the 3% COLA automatically beginning with their May 1, 2026, payment.

Learn more about COLA and STAR COLA:
https://www.ocers.org/cola-and-star-cola