what is the social security increase for 2026

The 2026 Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is 2.8%. This means that, starting in January 2026, most Social Security beneficiaries will see their monthly benefits increase by 2.8% compared with the prior year. The increase applies to Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI), Disability Insurance (DI), and most SSI payments, with SSI adjustments typically aligning to the same COLA framework, though SSI has its own payment mechanics. On average, retirees can expect roughly about a $56 per month increase in their benefits due to this COLA. For context, 2025’s COLA was 2.5%, and 2024’s was higher at 8.7% in response to unusually high inflation. If you’d like, I can break down how the 2.8% COLA is calculated, estimate your specific new monthly benefit based on your current benefit amount, or summarize how this interacts with any medicare premiums and other deductions.