(LOOTPRESS) – Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments are set to rise by 2.8% in 2026, providing a boost to nearly 75 million Americans. The increase, based on the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), will take effect in January 2026 for most recipients.
On average, Social Security retirement benefits will increase by about $56 per month starting in January. Nearly 71 million Social Security beneficiaries will see the 2.8% COLA reflected in their payments, while 7.5 million SSI recipients will begin receiving higher payments on December 31, 2025. (Some individuals receive both Social Security 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.”
Over the past decade, COLA increases have averaged about 3.1%, with a 2.5% adjustment in 2025. The 2026 increase is intended to help retirees and other beneficiaries keep pace with inflation and rising living costs.
In addition to the benefit increase, the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax—known as the taxable maximum—will rise from $176,100 to $184,500 in 2026.
Recipients will begin receiving their COLA notices by mail in early December. However, those with a my Social Security account can access their updated benefit information online faster and more securely. To view the 2026 COLA notice online, users must have a personal my Social Security account by November 19, 2025. You can create or access an account at www.ssa.gov/myaccount.
Information about Medicare changes for 2026 will be available later this year at www.medicare.gov. For beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare, updated benefit amounts will appear in the my Social Security Message Center beginning in late November. Those without an online account will continue to receive their notifications by mail in December.
The Social Security Act determines how the annual COLA is calculated, tying it to changes in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), as measured by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.
More information about the 2026 COLA is available at www.ssa.gov.
