Read more about the Social Security Cost-of-Living adjustment for 2026. The maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax (taxable maximum) will increase to $184,500. The earnings limit for workers who are younger than full retirement age (see Full Retirement Age Chart) will increase to $24,480.
For 2025, the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) FBR is $967 per month for an eligible individual and $1,450 per month for an eligible couple. For 2025, the amount of earnings that will have no effect on eligibility or benefits for SSI beneficiaries who are students under age 22 is $9,460 a year.
Cost-of-living adjustment increase
Every year, Social Security benefits are eligible for a cost-of-living adjustment to keep up with inflation. In October, the Social Security Administration announced a 2.8% COLA for 2026, increasing the average payout for retirees by $56 each month, or from $2,015 to $2,071.
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.
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 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. (Note: Some people receive both Social Security and SSI benefits.)
Qualification for the $1,400 stimulus check (the third Economic Impact Payment) in 2021 depended on your 2021 Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) and filing status, with full amounts for single filers earning up to $75,000 (phasing out at $80,000) and joint filers up to $150,000 (phasing out at $160,000), plus $1,400 per dependent; you needed a valid Social Security Number and had to claim it as the Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2021 tax return if you missed the payment, with deadlines typically in April 2025.
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, Social Security is giving extra money through the 2026 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA), which is a 2.8% increase for most beneficiaries starting in January 2026, raising the average retirement check by about $56 monthly due to higher inflation. This annual adjustment helps benefits keep pace with rising living costs, though some people might receive notices later in December.
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.
In November 2025, the full retirement age (FRA) — the age at which individuals qualify to receive 100% of their Social Security benefits — increased to 66 years and 10 months for those born in 1959. FRA gradually rises month by month, so in November 2025, those born in January 1959 reached their FRA.
Visit the IRS Get My Payment (GMP) portal at https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment to see if you can expect a 2021 Economic Impact Payment. The GMP portal will provide the date when your payment was or will be sent.
However, the payment amounts may vary, according to the IRS. The full credit amount is available to individual taxpayers with up to $75,000 in adjusted gross income and to married couples who file jointly with up to $150,000 for 2021.
Families earning less than $150,000 a year and individuals earning less than $75,000 a year should get the full $1,400 per person. Families earning up to $160,000 per year and individuals earning up to $80,000 per year will receive prorated stimulus checks for less than $1,400 max.
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.
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).
To be eligible to receive the maximum $5,108 benefit -- or whatever the maximum benefit is for a given year -- you need to have earned at least the wage base limit in each of the 35 years that the SSA uses to calculate your monthly benefit. In 2025, the wage base limit is $176,100.
$200 Monthly Right Now for Everyone on Social Security. The 2.8% COLA rise for 2026 Social Security benefits, which would raise monthly checks by almost $56, would be included in the projected payments.