Updated October 30, 2026. Quick answer: NHRS COLAs are not automatic: the Legislature must vote on what, if any, COLA is granted. The last COLA came from House Bill 616 in 2019, 1.5% on the first $50,000 of an annual pension for members who retired on or before July 1, 2014, followed only by $500 one-time payments. No 2027 COLA is set.
Who decides
The NHRS COLAs page says: “Cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) and other supplemental allowances are not automatic every year. The Legislature must vote annually on what, if any, COLAs or other allowances will be granted.” It defines the term: a COLA, referred to in state law as a supplemental allowance, is a permanent percentage increase to a pension benefit.
The last COLA, from HB 616
The NHRS COLA history lists for 2019: “1.5% COLA on the first $50,000 of an annual pension benefit to members who retired on or before July 1, 2014, or any beneficiary of such member who is receiving a survivorship pension benefit.” It adds: “The COLA took effect on the retired member’s first anniversary date of retirement occurring after July 1, 2020.” The NHRS FAQ on House Bill 616 says: “While the COLA is a permanent addition to the base pension benefit, it is a one-time increase. Additional legislation would need to be enacted to provide additional cost-of-living adjustments.” On size it says: “someone with a benefit of $50,000 or more will receive a maximum annual increase of $750.”
Who is left out
The 2019 COLA covers members who retired on or before July 1, 2014 and their survivor beneficiaries. Later retirees are not covered by that grant. Since then the history shows one-time payments rather than COLAs, for example: “No COLA; $500 TSA for members who retired under accidental (job-related) disability on or before July 1, 2018, or any beneficiary of such member who is receiving a survivor pension benefit; and whose annual retirement allowance on June 30, 2023, was not greater than $50,000.” A one-time payment does not raise the monthly pension. The full text of RSA 100-A was not archived for this page; the NHRS FAQ on House Bill 616 prints the bill’s new section, 100-A:41-e, but no current RSA text is cited here.
Where 2027 stands
No 2027 NHRS COLA is set: only the Legislature can grant one by bill, and this page updates if one is enacted. The NHRS history table ends at 2025 and has no row for 2026 or 2027.
Common mistakes
- Expecting a yearly COLA. NHRS says COLAs are not automatic every year.
- Applying the 2019 COLA to anyone who retired after July 1, 2014. It covers members who retired on or before that date.
- Treating a $500 one-time payment as a COLA. NHRS lists those entries as no COLA.
Related: NHRS retirement decisions, how public pension decisions work, and whether New Hampshire taxes pensions.
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Answer againSources
- New Hampshire Retirement System, NHRS COLAs: www.nhrs.org
- New Hampshire Retirement System, NHRS Frequently Asked Questions Concerning House Bill 616: www.nhrs.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.