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NEED TO KNOW
- Social Security benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments for 75 million Americans will increase 2.8% in 2026
- Social Security retirement benefits will increase by about $56 per month on average starting in January
- The announcement followed the release of September 2025 inflation data, which showed an acceleration in price increases compared to the previous year
Social Security recipients will notice a change in their benefits next year.
Friday, October 24, Social Security Administration (SSA) announced that Social Security benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments for 75 million Americans will increase by 2.8% in 2026.
Social Security retirement benefits will increase by about $56 per month, on average, starting in January, according to the agency.
The change is because the 2026 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is slightly higher than the 2.5% projected in 2025. According to the SSA, the COLA has averaged about 3.1% over the past decade.
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Beneficiaries will also see an increase from $176,100 to $184,500 in the maximum amount of income subject to the Social Security tax (maximum taxable).
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The SSA’s announcement follows the release of Inflation data for September 2025which showed an acceleration in price increases compared to the previous year.
SSA’s cost-of-living adjustment announcement was scheduled for October 15, but was delayed by federal government shutdownper CNBC.
“Social Security is a promise kept, and the annual cost-of-living adjustment is one way we work to ensure benefits reflect today’s economic realities and continue to provide a foundation of security,” Social Security Administration Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano said in a statement. “The cost-of-living adjustment is an important part of how social insurance delivers on its mission.”
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SSA will begin notifying recipients of their new benefit amounts by mail beginning in early December.
Those who have a personal my social security account may be able to view their COLA notice earlier online. The online system allows text or email alerts to be set when a new message arrives.
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Beneficiaries interested in accessing their filing online, who do not have a my Social Security account, must create one by November 19 to view their COLA notice electronically.
