ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Social Security benefits will increase by 3.6% in 2027, according to the Social Security Administration, but some St. Petersburg seniors say the adjustment will not be enough to keep up with rising costs.

AARP says more than 5 million Floridians receive Social Security. The organization said the increase is welcome news, but its polling shows most seniors feel they would need a 5% to 7% increase to keep up with inflation.

At the Sunshine Senior Center, seniors gather most days of the week to see friends and get a meal from Neighborly Senior Care Network.

“It’s a meal, it’s also socialization, which is very important when you age,” said Patience Summers,

Summers is a senior who depends on Social Security.

“As older adults, we’ve paid into it, some of us since high school,” Summers said. “We paid it our whole life.”

The Social Security Administration has made cost-of-living adjustments for benefits every year since 1975. The 2027 increase is slightly above average and is the largest since 2023, but Summers said the added money isn’t enough.

“Especially with gas prices, the cost of food. I’m blessed because I own my own home,” Summers said. “But the upkeep I can no longer afford with utilities rising, food rising, insurance rising, and that’s really sad.”

Other St. Petersburg retirees said the average increase of $75 a month should be larger, though Jerry Perry said the change is still an improvement.

“I’m on a fixed income,” Perry said. “When they say fixed income, they mean that because I had enough to pay rent, couple bills, and I got, like, very little left.”

Michael Coon, an associate professor of economics at the University of Tampa, said cost-of-living adjustments tend to track with inflation, but the adjustment is one year behind.

“So anytime we do the cost-of-living adjustment, it’s catching up to what has already happened,” Coon said. “When inflation rates are stable and predictable, it’s easier for senior citizens to budget for that.”

Summers said the Sunshine Senior Center helps her make ends meet, but she hopes more people recognize the financial pressure many seniors face.

“Hopefully, I think people will open their eyes and see that seniors, we put in our time,” Summers said. “We deserve more, we deserve better.”