The COLA is designed to help Social Security recipients keep up with the rising cost of living. Think about it like this: as prices for everyday things like food, housing, and transportation go up, your Social Security payment needs to go up too, or you might start to feel the pinch. It's like trying to fill up your gas tank with a fixed amount of money every month - if gas prices go up, you'll be able to buy less gas unless you get a raise!
The 3.6% increase is actually based on the CPI-W (Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers), which is like a big ol' basket of goods and services that the government uses to measure inflation. It's not a perfect system, but it's designed to help make sure your Social Security payment doesn't lose value over time. So, in a way, you could say the government is trying to keep up with the times and make sure you can still afford the things you need.
