The 2026 COLA will increase your Social Security payment, but the exact amount won't be announced until October 2025

The Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) is an annual raise to Social Security payments meant to keep up with inflation. Every October, the Social Security Administration announces the percentage increase that will take effect the following January. For 2026, that announcement happens in October 2025, and the raise goes into your payment starting in January 2026.

The COLA is calculated using the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), which measures how prices change for things like food, housing, and utilities. If inflation was higher in the third quarter of 2025 than it was in the third quarter of 2024, your payment goes up by that percentage. If there was no inflation or prices fell, there is no COLA — though this has happened only three times since 1975.

You do not need to do anything to receive the COLA. If you are already getting Social Security, the increase happens automatically in January 2026. You will see the new amount on your January payment and on your Social Security statement.

Key Takeaways

  • The 2026 COLA percentage will be announced in October 2025 and takes effect with your January 2026 payment.
  • The COLA is based on inflation measured between July and September 2024 compared to July and September 2025.
  • You receive the COLA automatically if you are already collecting Social Security — no action is required.
  • Recent COLAs have ranged from 3.2% to 8.7%, but the 2026 amount depends entirely on inflation data not yet finalized.

How the COLA is calculated and why it varies year to year

The Social Security Administration uses a specific three-month window to measure inflation: July, August, and September. They compare the average CPI-W for those three months in 2024 to the average for the same three months in 2025. The percentage difference becomes your COLA.

This means the 2026 COLA depends on inflation that has not yet happened. If prices rise sharply between now and September 2025, the COLA will be higher. If inflation slows or prices stabilize, the COLA will be lower. The Social Security Administration cannot predict this in advance, which is why they wait until October to announce the final number.

The COLA has varied widely in recent years. In 2024, it was 3.2%. In 2023, it was 8.7% — the highest in four decades, driven by inflation from 2022. In 2022, it was 5.9%. These swings reflect real changes in what things cost, not changes in how Social Security works.

When you will see the 2026 increase on your payment

Your January 2026 Social Security payment will include the COLA. The exact date you receive it depends on your birth date. Social Security pays most beneficiaries on the second, third, or fourth Wednesday of each month, based on when you were born. You can check your payment schedule on your Social Security account at ssa.gov or by calling 1-800-772-1213.

If you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) in addition to Social Security, the COLA applies to both. The same is true if you receive benefits as a spouse, widow, or dependent child — everyone on your family's benefit record receives the same percentage increase.

You will also see the new amount reflected in your annual Social Security statement, which Social Security mails or makes available online each year. The statement shows your current payment amount and estimates of future payments.

What happens if you are not yet receiving Social Security

If you have not started collecting Social Security yet, the COLA does not directly affect you in 2026. However, the COLA affects the calculation of your future benefit amount. Social Security uses your highest 35 years of earnings to calculate your benefit, and those earnings are adjusted for inflation using a wage index. The COLA itself does not change this calculation, but inflation — which drives the COLA — can affect how your past earnings are valued.

The age at which you start collecting Social Security is what matters most for your payment amount. If you start at 62, your payment is lower than if you start at 67 or 70. The COLA applies to whatever amount you are receiving, so starting later means a higher base payment that also receives the annual COLA.

How the COLA affects Medicare premiums and other deductions

Your Social Security payment may not increase by the full COLA percentage if you pay Medicare Part B or Part D premiums. Social Security uses a "hold harmless" rule that prevents your payment from going down if Medicare premiums rise faster than your COLA. However, this rule can also limit your increase if premiums are high.

For most people, the COLA increase is larger than any Medicare premium increase, so your net payment goes up. But if you are in a situation where Medicare premiums are unusually high, your Social Security payment increase may be smaller than the announced COLA. Social Security will explain any difference on your January payment notice.

If you pay other deductions — such as taxes withheld, child support, or a federal debt — those are calculated on your new payment amount after the COLA is applied.

Planning for 2026 based on what you know now

You cannot know the exact 2026 COLA until October 2025, but you can plan using recent history. The COLA has been between 3% and 9% in recent years. If you budget assuming a 3% increase, you will not be caught off guard if the actual number is lower. If inflation accelerates and the COLA is higher, that is a bonus.

If you are working and still collecting Social Security, the COLA does not change the earnings limit. In 2025, you lose $1 in benefits for every $2 you earn above $23,400 (if you have not yet reached full retirement age). This limit changes each year, but the COLA does not directly affect it — a separate wage index does.

If you are planning to start Social Security in 2026, remember that the COLA affects your payment only after you start. The decision of when to start should be based on your life expectancy, your need for income now, and your other resources — not on the COLA announcement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will there definitely be a COLA in 2026?

Almost certainly yes. There has been a COLA every year since 1975 except for 2010, 2011, and 2016, when inflation was flat or negative. Current economic conditions make a COLA in 2026 very likely, but the percentage is unknown until October 2025.

Can I find out the 2026 COLA before October 2025?

No. The Social Security Administration calculates the COLA using inflation data through September 2025, so the announcement cannot happen before October. Anyone claiming to know the 2026 COLA in advance is guessing.

Does the COLA apply if I am receiving benefits as a spouse or survivor?

Yes. All beneficiaries on a Social Security record receive the same COLA percentage, whether you are receiving on your own work record or as a spouse, widow, or dependent child.

What if I disagree with the COLA amount announced?

The COLA is set by law and calculated using a specific formula based on the Consumer Price Index. You cannot dispute the amount, but you can contact Social Security if you believe your individual payment is calculated incorrectly.

Does the COLA affect my taxes on Social Security benefits?

The COLA increases your total Social Security income, which can affect how much of your benefits are taxable. If your combined income (adjusted gross income plus half your Social Security benefits) exceeds certain thresholds, more of your benefits become subject to federal income tax. The thresholds themselves do not change with the COLA.