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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Bobbi J.
I am an 80 year old adult. I agree with many other tax paying Americans this is not what we believed living in the USA would be. I worked my entire life from age 18, attended school at night to get a business degree which in those days was not worth much either. It did help with employment but little. Back in those days you had to work to survive. Has not changed much over the years for those brought up well. I now live month to month on social security believing it would support me. Well, big disappointment in the world we now live in. I now have 3 grown children working and with families, 1 grandson already with a family, and 5 other grands. WHAT ABOUT THEM living in this world as it is now. Not the GREAT USA I grew up in. Sad……
Rockjj19
This is December not October, this Cola sounds like trick or treat 📴
Deborah R.
I agree,with everyone.lt’s a shame that Trump gives us money,that we never see.As soon as the seniors get it,there a line up of people waiting to take it.You know the saying “in one hand,and out the other”.landlord, medicare,heath insurance,car insurance…etc.l moved to a government home,after living here one year,the wanted a list of my income,l gave it to the.l said,”why do need it,l gave you all the same papers to get in here.The said,”it’s a government requirement,for them to check the tenant financial status .We’ll the check it, and was told my rent went up because of what they found.One year in here.So now l have to worry about the government taking money from me everytime they do a
financial check.Everyone wants a piece on the money we get.
Margaret C.
we get a cost of living raise, only it just gets ate up with your insurance goes up, your medicare premiums go up , so technically we get nothing
Nieshea A.
willisnieshea49@gmail.com
Peggy W.
Don’t you understand the only thing that truly would help people who draw Social Security is people that has worked all their life and all they’re getting is $1080 now on Social Security that’s not enough to live on people are losing their homes and everything how sad plus a lot of these young people I found a way to get on disability and they draw more money than someone who has worked their whole life plus if somebody has been drawing Social Security and then they lose an eyesight or they lose their hearing totally then they should receive more benefits. We get cheated because we’re older and too old to draw disability and where the generation that has worked our entire life and now we’re losing our homes and everything.
Mr L.
Senior Citizens Built this Country,not these half ass politicians but they get paid for doing nothing but taking from the seniors
Angry P.
COLA is supposed to stand for COST OF LIVING.
Where the actual ‘cost of living has increased’ 25% in just the last year.
So we are actually getting hundreds of dollars less each month now, then we were just a few years ago. and we all feel it and ITS NOT EVEN CLOSE TO SUSTAINABLE!!!
You monsters!
Anrgy p.
Disability payments need to be DOUBLED at the very least, just to barely scrape over the line each month.
I am now ready to REVOLT because of the way they have destroyed our money and are now starving us all.