Updated October 30, 2026. Quick answer: The Fire and Police Pension Fund of San Antonio increases annuities each year by a share of the CPI-U increase for the prior calendar year that depends on the retirement date: 100% of the increase for retirements before August 30, 1971; 100% of the increase up to 8% plus 75% of any excess for August 30, 1971 to before October 1, 1999; and 75% of the increase for October 1, 1999 and later. With 2025 CPI at 2.7%, the Board approved 2.7% for members who retired before October 1, 1999 and 2.0% for those who retired on or after that date. The 2027 COLA depends on the calendar 2026 CPI, which is not yet known.
The formula in the Pension Law
Section 5.09 of the Pension Law says: “At or before its regular meeting in the month of March, the board annually shall review the Consumer’s Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), U. S. City Average”. For members who retired on or after October 1, 1999: “If the member’s service retirement, disability retirement, or death before retirement occurred on or after October 1, 1999, the annuity shall be increased by a percentage equal to 75 percent of the percentage increase in the cost of living index.” For members whose retirement, disability or death before retirement occurred on or after August 30, 1971 but before October 1, 1999, the Summary Plan Description says: “(1) If the increase of the CPI is 8% or less, 100% of the CPI increase; or (2) If the increase of the CPI is more than 8%, 100% of the CPI increase up to and including 8%, and 75% of the CPI increase in excess of 8%.” It adds a third category: a retirement, disability or death before retirement before August 30, 1971 receives 100% of the CPI increase. Rounding: “A percentage increase in annuities shall be rounded to the nearest one-tenth percentage point for a cost of living increase.”
How the Fund explains it
The Summary Plan Description says: “After the end of each calendar year the Board increases all annuities based on the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, U.S. City Average (CPI)”. Its worked example: “For example, assume that the CPI increase for calendar year 2023 is 4.5%. If you retired in 2010, effective January 1, 2024 you will receive a COLA equal to 75% of 4.5%, or 3.4%.”
The 2026 COLA
The Board’s January 28, 2026 minutes record: “the recently issued BLS Consumer Price Index for calendar year 2025 was 2.7%, so that members retiring prior to October 1, 1999, will receive a 2.7% COLA, and members retiring on or after October 1, 1999, will receive 2.0%.” The minutes add: “The Board noted that the automatic COLA provided in our Pension Law is unique among public pension funds, and it is a significant benefit for all our retirees.” Check, computed here from the Pension Law formula: 75% of 2.7% is 2.025%, which rounds to 2.0% at the nearest tenth of a percentage point.
What the documents do not say
The minutes print no effective date; January 2026 follows from the Summary Plan Description’s statement that the COLA takes effect on January 1 after the CPI year. The Pension Law and Summary Plan Description read are the 2023 editions, and no earlier year’s COLA was archived.
Where 2027 stands
No 2027 San Antonio Fire and Police COLA is set: it follows the calendar 2026 CPI, which was not available when this page was read.
Common mistakes
- Expecting the full CPI change for every retiree. Members who retired on or after October 1, 1999 receive 75% of it.
- Treating the 2.7% as the figure for everyone. The 2.0% applies to the newer group.
- Looking for a Board vote that sets the formula. The Pension Law fixes it, and the Board reviews the index.
Related: San Antonio Fire and Police Pension retirement decisions, how public pension decisions work, and whether Texas taxes pensions.
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Answer againSources
- Fire and Police Pension Fund, San Antonio, Pension Law, Section 5.09 Cost-of-Living Increases: www.safppf.org
- Fire and Police Pension Fund, San Antonio, Summary Plan Description, Cost of Living Adjustments: www.safppf.org
- Fire and Police Pension Fund, San Antonio, Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees, January 28, 2026: www.safppf.org
- Related official page (not quoted): IRS Tax Topic 410, Pensions and annuities: www.irs.gov
- Related official page (not quoted): IRS Tax Topic 411, Pensions: the General Rule and the Simplified Method: www.irs.gov
Read from the primary documents linked above on October 30, 2026. General information, not tax advice. Your own facts decide the outcome, and a preparer or the IRS itself is the right place to confirm anything consequential.