Yes, for 2026, over 75 million Social Security beneficiaries will receive a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to their monthly payments, starting in January 2026. This increase averages about $56 more per month for retirees. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients will receive their increased payments starting December 31, 2025.
Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Information for 2026
The 2.8 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits payable to nearly 71 million Social Security beneficiaries in January 2026. Increased payments to nearly 7.5 million SSI recipients will begin on December 31, 2025.
Yes, Social Security recipients received a Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for 2025, but the bigger news is that they are getting a larger 2.8% COLA for 2026, announced in October 2025, which began with January 2026 payments, increasing average benefits by about $56 per month. The 2025 COLA was a smaller 2.5% increase, while the 2026 adjustment reflects moderating inflation, leading to higher payments starting in the new year.
The official 2026 Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) is 2.8%, announced by the Social Security Administration (SSA) in October 2025, resulting in an average increase of about $56 monthly for retirees, though some forecasts had predicted slightly lower or higher figures based on inflation trends. This adjustment reflects the rise in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) from the third quarter of 2024 to the third quarter of 2025.
Yes, seniors are getting a 2.8% raise in their Social Security benefits for 2026, a Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) that went into effect in January 2026, increasing the average monthly payment by about $56, though concerns exist about how much of that increase will truly help due to rising costs and Medicare premiums. This adjustment helps benefits keep pace with inflation, though the formula's reliance on the CPI-W index is often criticized for not reflecting seniors' actual expenses.
The extra $144 added to Social Security usually comes from the Medicare Part B Giveback benefit, offered by some Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans, which pays back some or all your Part B premium, showing up as extra money in your check if it's deducted from your Social Security. To qualify, you need Original Medicare (Parts A & B), pay your own Part B premium, live in a plan's service area, and enroll in a specific Medicare Advantage plan that offers this "rebate," with the amount varying by plan and location.
The 2025 Social Security payment increase was a 2.5% Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA), announced in October 2024, leading to about a $50-$56 average monthly increase for retirees, with the average benefit rising from around $1,927 to $1,976 or more. This smaller adjustment reflects moderating inflation compared to the significant 2023 boost, with final amounts detailed in COLA notices mailed in late 2024.
You get two Social Security checks in December if you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), not regular Social Security, because the January payment gets moved to late December (usually Dec 31) since January 1st (New Year's Day) is a federal holiday, resulting in a December 1st payment and a December 31st payment for January's benefits, with the later one often including the COLA increase.
Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA)
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has announced a a 2.5 % cost-of-living adjustment (COLA)* for 2025. For the average recipient, this could mean an additional $57 per month or $684 annually. This adjustment is vital for retirees living on fixed incomes.
Qualifying for the third stimulus check
If you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, you will automatically qualify for the third stimulus check which will be in the amount $1400.
You likely received extra money in October 2025 due to a calendar scheduling quirk for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) (which got two payments: one Oct 1st for October's benefit and one Oct 31st for November's), or perhaps a retroactive payment from the Social Security Fairness Act for Windfall Elimination/Government Pension Offset (WEP/GPO) adjustments, as Social Security's main Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for 2026 started in January 2026, not October 2025, though the announcement was in October 2025.
Yes, you can generally collect a pension and Social Security benefits at the same time, and a new law (Social Security Fairness Act) eliminated past reductions for many public pension recipients, meaning your pension usually won't decrease your Social Security benefit now, though it can affect taxes on that income. Private pensions typically don't impact Social Security, but public pensions from jobs not paying into Social Security (like some government/teacher roles) previously faced cuts (WEP/GPO) that ended in 2024, allowing full benefits.
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 people receive both Social Security benefits and SSI).
The Social Security Administration announced in October that beneficiaries will see a 2.8% increase in their monthly payments, known as the cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA. Individuals receiving Social Security benefits will notice the increase starting in January 2026.
The Social Security payment schedule for 2026 depends on your birth date or if you receive SSI, with most paid on the second, third, or fourth Wednesday of the month, while SSI is on the 1st (or preceding business day) and those who started benefits before May 1997 get paid on the 3rd. Key dates include early payments in late December 2025 and January 2026 for some, with specific Wednesday dates set by birth day (1st-10th: 2nd Wed; 11th-20th: 3rd Wed; 21st-31st: 4th Wed).
Yes, seniors are getting a 2.8% raise in their Social Security benefits for 2026, a Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) that went into effect in January 2026, increasing the average monthly payment by about $56, though concerns exist about how much of that increase will truly help due to rising costs and Medicare premiums. This adjustment helps benefits keep pace with inflation, though the formula's reliance on the CPI-W index is often criticized for not reflecting seniors' actual expenses.
Eligibility Criteria for Senior Stimulus Checks
Those who receive Social Security benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or veterans' benefits are also considered for stimulus payments, even if they do not file a tax return.
Yes, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients received two payments in May 2025: one on May 1st (for May) and another on May 30th (for June) because the June 1st payment date fell on a Sunday, triggering an early release. Regular Social Security beneficiaries, however, received their payments on the usual Wednesday schedule based on their birthdates (May 14, 21, or 28), though some individuals receiving both SSI and Social Security could see three payments in May.
What to Know: The maximum Social Security benefit for a worker retiring at full retirement age will increase from $3,822 in 2024 to $4,018 in 2025. Based on the increase in average wages, the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax (taxable maximum) is going to increase to $176,100 from $168,600.
An overpayment can happen when a beneficiary fails to update a change in income, for instance, and as a result Social Security overpays them. Or the SSA can incorrectly calculate a person's benefits.
The term “Social Security bonus” isn't an official benefit but a way to describe how retirees can increase the amount they receive each month. Social Security allows you to boost your monthly payment by delaying when you start claiming benefits.