Social Security announces 2.8% COLA for 2026, about $56 monthly

The Social Security Administration on Friday announced a 2.8 percent cost of living adjustment for 2026, raising monthly benefits for roughly 75 million Americans by an average of about $56 beginning in January. The increase was announced after a delay tied to a federal government shutdown that temporarily held up September inflation data used to compute the adjustment.

The COLA is calculated from the change in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers for the three months of July through September compared with the same period a year earlier. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ September data, which was needed to complete that calculation, was released this week, allowing the agency to finalize the figure. Supplemental Security Income recipients will see their increased payments starting Dec. 31, 2025.

Social Security Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano said in a statement, “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.” The raise is modestly larger than the 2.5 percent COLA beneficiaries received...