(A) (i) The Commissioner of Social Security shall determine each year beginning with 1975 (subject to the limitation in paragraph (1)(B)) whether the base quarter (as defined in paragraph (1)(A)(i)) in such year is a cost-of-living computation quarter. (ii) If the Commissioner of Social Security determines that the base quarter in any year is a cost-of-living computation quarter, the Commissioner shall, effective with the month of December of that year as provided in subparagraph (B), increase— (I) the benefit amount to which individuals are entitled for that month under section 427 or 428 of this title, (II) the primary insurance amount of each other individual on which benefit entitlement is based under this subchapter, and (III) the amount of total monthly benefits based on any primary insurance amount which is permitted under section 403 of this title (and such total shall be increased, unless otherwise so increased under another provision of this subchapter, at the same time as such primary insurance amount) or, in the case of a primary insurance amount computed under subsection (a) as in effect (without regard to the table contained therein) prior to January 1979, the amount to which the beneficiaries may be entitled under section 403 of this title as in effect in December 1978, except as provided by section 403(a)(7) and (8) of this title as in effect after December 1978. The increase shall be derived by multiplying each of the amounts described in subdivisions (I), (II), and (III) (including each of those amounts as previously increased under this subparagraph) by the applicable increase percentage; and any amount so increased that is not a multiple of $0.10 shall be decreased to the next lower multiple of $0.10. Any increase under this subsection in a primary insurance amount determined under subparagraph (C)(i) of subsection (a)(1) shall be applied after the initial determination of such primary insurance amount under that subparagraph (with the amount of such increase, in the case of an individual who becomes eligible for old-age or disability insurance benefits or dies in a calendar year after 1979, being determined from the range of possible primary insurance amounts published by the Commissioner of Social Security under the last sentence of subparagraph (D)). (iii) In the case of an individual who becomes eligible for an old-age or disability insurance benefit, or who dies prior to becoming so eligible, in a year in which there occurs an increase provided under clause (ii), the individual’s primary insurance amount (without regard to the time of entitlement to that benefit) shall be increased (unless otherwise so increased under another provision of this subchapter and, with respect to a primary insurance amount determined under subsection (a)(1)(C)(i)(I) in the case of an individual to whom that subsection (as in effect in December 1981) applied, subject to the provisions of subsection (a)(1)(C)(i) and clauses (iv) and (v) of this subparagraph (as then in effect)) by the amount of that increase and subsequent applicable increases, but only with respect to benefits payable for months after November of that year.

(B) The increase provided by subparagraph (A) with respect to a particular cost-of-living computation quarter shall apply in the case of monthly benefits under this subchapter for months after November of the calendar year in which occurred such cost-of-living computation quarter, and in the case of lump-sum death payments with respect to deaths occurring after November of such calendar year.

(C) (i) Whenever the Commissioner of Social Security determines that a base quarter in a calendar year is also a cost-of-living computation quarter, the Commissioner shall notify the House Committee on Ways and Means and the Senate Committee on Finance of such determination within 30 days after the close of such quarter, indicating the amount of the benefit increase to be provided, the Commissioner’s estimate of the extent to which the cost of such increase would be met by an increase in the contribution and benefit base under section 430 of this title and the estimated amount of the increase in such base, the actuarial estimates of the effect of such increase, and the actuarial assumptions and methodology used in preparing such estimates. (ii) The Commissioner of Social Security shall determine and promulgate the OASDI fund ratio for the current calendar year on or before November 1 of the current calendar year, based upon the most recent data then available. The Commissioner of Social Security shall include a statement of the fund ratio and the national average wage index (as defined in section 409(k)(1) of this title ) and a statement of the effect such ratio and the level of such index may have upon benefit increases under this subsection in any notification made under clause (i) and any determination published under subparagraph (D).

(D) If the Commissioner of Social Security determines that a base quarter in a calendar year is also a cost-of-living computation quarter, the Commissioner shall publish in the Federal Register within 45 days after the close of such quarter a determination that a benefit increase is resultantly required and the percentage thereof. The Commissioner shall also publish in the Federal Register at that time (i) a revision of the range of the primary insurance amounts which are possible after the application of this subsection based on the dollar amount specified in subparagraph (C)(i) of subsection (a)(1) (with such revised primary insurance amounts constituting the increased amounts determined for purposes of such subparagraph (C)(i) under this subsection), or specified in subsection (a)(3) as in effect prior to 1979, and (ii) a revision of the range of maximum family benefits which correspond to such primary insurance amounts (with such maximum benefits being effective notwithstanding section 403(a) of this title except for paragraph (3)(B) thereof (or paragraph (2) thereof as in effect prior to 1979)). Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, such revision of maximum family benefits shall be subject to paragraph (6) of section 403(a) of this title (as added by section 101(a)(3) of the Social Security Disability Amendments of 1980).