WASHINGTON — Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments for roughly 75 million Americans are set to rise in 2026, the Social Security Administration announced on Friday.
The cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will be 2.8 percent, translating to an average increase of about $56 per month for retirement benefits, SSA said in a news release.
Nearly 71 million Social Security beneficiaries will see the COLA take effect in January, while nearly 7.5 million SSI recipients will receive increased payments beginning Dec. 31 of this year, SSA. The COLA is designed to help benefits keep pace with inflation and the cost of living, it added.
“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,” SSA Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano said. “The cost-of-living adjustment is a vital part of how Social Security delivers on its mission.”
SSA said other adjustments include an increase in the maximum taxable earnings for Social Security from $176,100 in 2025 to $184,500 in 2026. Additionally, the retirement earnings test exempt amounts will rise, as will thresholds for disability benefits, trial work periods and SSI federal payment standards.
Social Security will begin mailing COLA notices in early December, and beneficiaries with my Social Security accounts can access their notices online. The one-page notice provides personalized benefit amounts and any deductions. Online account holders can also receive text or email alerts when new messages, such as the COLA notice, are available.
The increase comes after a 2.5 percent COLA in 2025, with the decade-long average adjustment at about 3.1 percent. For 2026, the estimated average monthly benefits are: $2,071 for retired workers, $3,208 for aged couples and $1,919 for aged widow(er) alone. SSI recipients will see federal payment standards rise to $994 for individuals and $1,491 for couples.
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