Updated October 30, 2026. Quick answer: Connecticut MERS (CMERS) gives retirees a COLA each July 1, calculated from a CPI-W formula inside a set range. The plan documents read print the formula and no granted rate for July 2026; the Comptroller’s memo names one earlier rate, 6% for 2022. A 2027 COLA is not set yet.
The formula
The CMERS Summary Plan Description, revised July 1, 2023, explains the formula for Normal, Early and Vested Rights retirees: “60% of the increase in the CPI-W up to 6% PLUS 75% of the increase in the CPI-W above 6%”. The range depends on the retirement date. For retirements on or before June 30, 2025, it says: “Each COLA will fall within a range between a minimum of 2.5% and a maximum of 6%. Within that range, the COLA will be calculated under this formula:”
The rule for 2026 and 2027 retirements
For retirements from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, the description says: “If the CPI-W increases by 2% or less, then the amount of the COLA will equal the greater of either (i) 1.5% or (ii) the amount of the increase to the CPI-W.” It adds: “If the CPI-W increases by more than 2%, each COLA will fall within a range between 2% and 7.5%.” Other retirement dates have different floors and ranges, which this page does not detail.
Timing and who is left out
On timing, for retirements on or before June 30, 2025 the description says: “You will receive your first COLA on the first July 1 that falls after the date of your retirement.” For the later retirement dates it says: “You will receive your first COLA on the first July 1 that falls after you have been retired for at least 12 months. You will receive an additional COLA on July 1 every year thereafter.” Disability retirees follow a different rule: “Each COLA will fall within a range between a minimum of 3% and a maximum of 5%. Within that range, the COLA will equal the portion of the yield on the plan’s assets that is greater than 6%.” Retirees of other Connecticut systems, such as the Teachers’ Retirement Board, are not covered by this page.
Where 2027 stands
No 2027 COLA figure is set in the sources: the rate comes from the statutory CPI-W formula, and this page updates when the Office of the State Comptroller publishes the July 2027 rate. The plan description and the Comptroller memo on CMERS reforms print no rate for July 1, 2026, so this page cannot state it. The memo does say: “The 2022 COLA was 6%.” No other granted rate appears in the sources read.
Common mistakes
- Assuming a rate from the formula alone. The sources read print no granted rate for July 2026, so the percentage for a given July 1 depends on the CPI-W increase for that period.
- Using the wrong tier. The range and the floor depend on the retirement date, and disability retirees follow a yield based rule instead of CPI-W.
- Expecting a COLA on the first July 1 after retiring. For recent retirements the first COLA comes after at least 12 months of retirement.
Related: Connecticut MERS retirement decisions, how public pension decisions work, and whether Connecticut taxes pensions.
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Answer againSources
- Office of the State Comptroller, CT, CMERS Summary Plan Description: osc.ct.gov
- Office of the State Comptroller, CT, OSC Memorandum, CMERS Reforms: osc.ct.gov
- 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.