Social Security Announces 2.8 Percent Benefit Increase for 2026
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: October 24, 2025
Social Security benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments for 75 million Americans will increase 2.8 percent in 2026. On average, Social Security retirement benefits will increase by about $56 per month starting in January.
Over the last decade the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) increase has averaged about 3.1 percent. The COLA was 2.5 percent in 2025.
Nearly 71 million Social Security beneficiaries will see a 2.8 percent COLA beginning in January 2026. Increased payments to nearly 7.5 million people receiving SSI will begin on December 31, 2025. (Note: Some recipients receive both Social Security benefits and SSI).
“Social Security is a promise kept, and the annual cost-of-living adjustment is one way we are working to make sure benefits reflect today’s economic realities and continue to provide a foundation of security,” said Social Security Administration Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano. “The cost-of-living adjustment is a vital part of how Social Security delivers on its mission.”
Some other adjustments that take effect in January of each year are based on the increase in average wages. For example, the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax (taxable maximum) is slated to increase to $184,500 from $176,100.
Social Security begins notifying recipients about their new benefit amount by mail starting in early December. Those who have a personal my Social Security account can view their COLA notice online, which is secure, easy, and faster than receiving a letter in the mail. You can set up text or email alerts when a new message–such as your COLA notice–is available in your my Social Security account.
You will need to have a personal my Social Security account by November 19 to see your COLA notice online. To get started, visit www.ssa.gov/myaccount.
Information about Medicare changes for 2026 will be available at www.medicare.gov. For Social Security beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare, the 2026 benefit amount will be available via my Social Security’s Message Center starting in late November. Those who do not have an online my Social Security account will receive their COLA notice by mail in December.
The Social Security Act provides for how the COLA is calculated. The Social Security Act ties the annual COLA to the change in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) as determined by the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. You can find more information about the 2026 COLA here.
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Jimmy
SSA Cost-of-living goes up 2.8% 2026 and Medicare increased 10% 2026 so you truly get nothing or you’ll will pay more into SSA and Medicare Premiums. Such a deception!! This needs to be publicly announced before innocent people start to get happy believing they are getting an increase…such a let down! Check it out, go to your SSA.gov site and see the corrupt Medicare increase.
Brown B.
Is this 2.8% simply a normal annual adjustment, or should it be seen as part of a broader critique of the social security system, given that many low-income or elderly people rely entirely on these benefits?
Nonton Anime
Vikash K.
“A benefit increase is welcome news for millions of retirees and disabled workers — every step that strengthens financial stability for seniors matters.”…https://www.svarp.com
John H.
Why don’t the actual calculations come out correctly? When I multiply my previous amount by 2.8%, the figures do not align with what they should be. This is the amount before deductions. In my case, the difference is only $.15, but why is it wrong, no matter the amount.
Kenneth c.
Goodbusiness.ofinformation
Tired i.
When will we see our net payments for 2026? Social Security and Medicare.
J
WHAT ABOUT THE MILLIONS IN FRAUD Y’ALL STOPPED!! SHOULDN’T SOME OF THAT GO TO OUR COLA INCREASE??? I THINK EVERY TRUSTEE SHOULD BE IN JAIL FOR THIS NOW!! IF IT WAS ONE OF US WE WOULD NEVER SEE THE OUTSIDE OF A JAIL AGAIN. 2 SETS OF RULES 1 FOR US AND NONE FOR THEM…
Maria
JUSTICE IS NEVER DONE IN THIS COUNTRY THEY SAID THEY GIVE YOU 1 BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THEY TAKE 3 FROM YOU.
J E.
It’s impossible to live like this. Maybe it’s not worth trying. Pittance of COLA is eaten up by CMS increases.. ~$30 increase/mo was approx calculation of increase after removing BIG CMS hike. 2.8% NOPE! Pull out CMS hike: 1.6% for me?! [particularly hard to swallow when it’s over things like skin substitutes this year, few years back it was insanely expensive Rx for rare illness – yea, cost must be spread around I guess – why not have secondary coverage for these bazillion $ treatments for the FEW who have those conditions, use a sliding scale of their cost based on income & expenses for their fee for these insane treatments that DON’T apply 95%+?! You’ll bankrupt us ALL this way…]. And why not limit prices scam drug makers can charge for any CMS coverage??? ALL payors & providers would go out of business if they refused to take CMS patients entirely….. USE the leverage you have?!
EVERY ‘developed’ nation has national healthcare with no copay for any appt, service or medicine! ALL those countries SET prices on drugs.. Still: no drugmaker refuses?! Clearly still profitable at $1-3 per unit… Yet our copay on the same drugs: $20-40 for us PLUS carriers pay whatever they supposedly pay. How does anyone rationalize that?! We pay over double for healthcare than anyone yet have worse outcomes?! That’s not ‘FREE MARKET’ that’s THIEVERY! Our govt allows itself & us to all be scammed while blaming us & or really stupid things many can see through! This insanity must end.
Insult to injury: the pittance I can’t live on is TOO much to qualify for ‘extra help’ or government subsidies of all manner?!?! While we’ve just spent 1mo+ hearing how wasteful & how programs are so abused…?! Ever consider it’s all BROKEN?! Ironic humor: if I STOPPED choosing between drugs, food, supplies, co-pays = I EASILY qualify to be in a CARE FACILITY?! How much would that run ya, govt?! All as healthy young people make decisions NONE have had to live themselves?! All levels of society bark about ‘cost of living’. Well NEWSFLASH: calculate ‘cost to stay alive’ ON TOP OF your SAME cost of living bills – on a tiny FRACTION of working income….. Plus DISQUALIFIED from all help programs: then get back to me on how ‘hard’ it all is!!l
Using an inflation calculator & including COLAs: we’ve steadily LOST money & ‘purchasing power’ as many years back as I was able to go?! Now getting paid LESS than back in the 1980s, when adjusted for inflation?! Fastest growing impoverished people in the country… By definition these are the exact few populations who will have MORE expenses related to health, prescriptions, copays, purchasing things CMS refuses for arbitrary reasons [even if necessary to life in my latest instance], often special diets, mobility modifications to home or vehicle, mobility aids, outrageously priced EVERYTHING OTC for relevant needs [how do baby diapers cost X while adult PADS 1/10 the material or production cost 5x more?!] FREE Market is the come back. they say. Ah. Well. What happens to the economy when half of it cannot buy anything?! WHY are ANY healthcare organizations, health insurance companies & any adjacent entities allowed to be FOR PROFIT?!?! Posting countless billions in profit while insisting to us & govt ‘costs are just rising’ – WHY don’t your own finances reflect that then?! WHY does no fool ever say so?! Similarly, how can anyone be cool with tax exempt entities of any kind with $1-$100 MILLION salaries for executives…..?! Want to keep social safety nets alive: reel that crap in & TAX those entities!! [including all that pseudo ‘religions’ given the same absurd luxury yet function as businesses & scams in EVERY way….?!
COLA isn’t even calculated same as REAL inflation #, even though we live in same economy?! Zero thought to CMS hike or what OUR expenses actually are [NOT the same as young healthy people! Double your inflation rate: you MIGHT get to what we must figure out affording!]… All done by people NOT nor have EVER been on SS or CMS?! Why not involve people who can tell you reality?! The lobbyists trying to bankrupt all of us & the nation AREN’T telling reality! Get the lobbyists OUT, cap salaries of ALL mgmt who want ‘non profit’ ‘tax exempt’ status (incld stock options)! Waste/fraud/abuse is 100% with payors & healthcare providers [as someone who’s been health professional AND patient!] – yet endless effort goes into investigating patients’ usually innocent ‘mistake’ IF it was even THEIR fault anyway…..?! It’s all demonic, absurd & crushing people.
The message to the ‘elderly’, disabled, survivors, etc is [in my opinion] is we’re a nuisance to the govt/society & easier to NOT have us around. It’s deflating, hurtful, not what I paid in for, not the fairy tale I’ve been sold my whole life about ‘who’ this country supposedly was or supposedly ‘stood for’. That type of was implemented before: 1930s Germany T4 & other similar programs to eliminate or reduce as much as possible the ‘burden’ on the ‘healthy’ ‘productive’ people…… In a history ignorant country with lobbyists paying to control things for the benefit of few at the cost of many: I’m scared to find out where bottom is. Sadly, the house of cards is bound to collapse completely the more the masses are weakened & hollowed out! The billions & trillions the top few won’t mean much WHEN their companies all go bankrupt without consumers in a CONSUMER driven economy! Private industries & govt KEEP eviscerating the masses… Without enough awareness how much it’ll COST THEM when the fat man sings! Such greed & ignorance [along with literally ALL the above] are UNIQUELY American. Pretty sad reflection……. If only they’d bother to LOOK! Ugh. Exhausting. Impossible. Futile.
Della
It’s abusive …. believable we are actually paying the salaries of these people who are robbing us blind, sick and dead
Nora
Well said
Belinda
You are absolutely right. I would like to see a show named Politicians in Poverty. No accessing their money, But living day-to-day with what we have to live on. I would want to see how they make it. Absolutely no help from family members, no bank accounts so no one can put extra money in. I want them to see how we struggle on what little money we do have.
Phil C.
I’m a Veteran and a Senior.
The country is following the same road the Roman Empire used!!😳!!!!!!!!
My opinion, not enough taxpayers CARE about Sports and Concerts distractions.
I feel like a sheet on that thousand sheet
roll !!!!!
Thank you for your time. AMEN!!!
Karen
An increase of 56$ is nothing compared to real inflation costs. Cheap food for one week is all it covers. Those of us living on social security need more.
Jmm
That’s about what it comes too 56 dollars
56 dollars buys about a case and a half of pet food we have to feed these poor homeless and stray souls
Bonnie H.
I appreciate the income but 2025 funds were taken from gas electric telephone can’t remember others Right now why is that plus should be more everything at a highly cost full ripping us off tearably
Jean M.
I agree, as high as rent, utilities, inflation, it would take as least $3,000.00 a month for live.. Every country but the USA take care of their elderly seniors.
Oscar.a.gonzalez
Why bother if cost of living is way out of hand I got $20 Dollar and then deducted taking it back and end up loosing $1 I’m a dollar short one dollar less because of their generosity to help the people who makes America we the people
Oneline M.
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J E.
Um.. Weird place to advertise for Saudi home repairs?! And we’re hardly being ‘helped’ when calculated for inflation we are being paid LESS than in the 1980s.. Glad you’re glad about it, deem it great & think 99% of people in these programs could even afford to VISIT never mind LIVE in Saudi……….. All about as sensical as advertising here – even for US companies! People who can’t keep heads above water are hardly a great target audience. Oy.
Della M.
I meant UNBELIEVABLE….we pay these elected officials to help rob us blind….we pay for their healthcare while we suffer
Tired i.
Eliminate special benefits for Congress…no, all politicians. They need to live with the same systems the rest of us do (pensions, healthcare, other insurance).
Karen
Yes totally agree. They should live with the same conditions they vote in for us to live with. No special medical coverage. No special anything.
Merry
Why is this adverting allowed
Balonie
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Linda T.
Why every time we get a raise out rent goes up, I move here Oct 5 2025 my rent were $292.00 now I am paying $390, no thing extra or improvement same dull senior citizen apartment for the rent to go up to me there sure be an improvement
Anita T.
I agree with you because my rent my rent is $135 a week so 4 weeks you’re looking at I’m going to put five and a half and if a month has 5 weeks in a month then it’s 685 to just live.. & no food stamps. What’s fair??
Emma
This small amount is an insult to us!
Those politicians get paid too much and have free healthcare!
They are the problem not the immigrants!
REVOLUTION
Deborah K.
Where do you live for $390 a month?
a3school
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