The 2026 COLA will be announced in October 2025, and the exact amount depends on inflation data collected through September

The Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) is an annual increase to Social Security benefits meant to keep pace with inflation. The Social Security Administration calculates it using the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), measured from the third quarter of one year to the third quarter of the next. The 2026 COLA will be announced on October 16, 2025, and will take effect on January 1, 2026.

COLA is not the same across all states — the benefit amount itself is national, but how much you receive depends on your work history and when you started claiming. What varies by state is how that benefit interacts with state taxes, state supplements for certain beneficiaries, and how your benefit affects other state programs you may be using. The COLA percentage itself is uniform nationwide.

If you receive Social Security retirement, survivor, or disability benefits, your January 2026 payment will include the new COLA automatically. You do not need to do anything. If you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), the rules are different — some states add their own supplement on top of the federal SSI payment, and those state supplements may or may not increase with the federal COLA.

Key Takeaways

  • The 2026 COLA will be announced October 16, 2025, and reflects inflation measured from September 2024 through September 2025.
  • COLA is a single percentage applied nationwide to all Social Security retirement, survivor, and disability benefits.
  • Some states add their own monthly supplement to SSI payments, and whether that supplement increases depends on state law, not federal COLA.
  • Your January 2026 benefit will automatically include the COLA — you will not receive a separate notice or need to take action.
  • If you work while receiving benefits, the earnings limit may change in 2026, which can affect how much you receive before full retirement age.

How the COLA percentage is calculated

The Social Security Administration uses the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) to measure inflation. Specifically, they compare the average CPI-W for July, August, and September of one year to the average for the same three months of the previous year. For 2026, that means comparing Q3 2025 to Q3 2024.

If inflation has risen, beneficiaries receive a COLA. If the CPI-W is flat or lower than the previous year, there is no COLA — this happened in 2010, 2011, and 2016. The COLA is applied to your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), which is the benefit you would receive at full retirement age. If you claimed early or delayed, the COLA still applies to your actual payment amount.

The exact 2026 COLA percentage will not be known until October 16, 2025. Historical COLAs have ranged from 0% to 8.7% (in 2023). The 2025 COLA was 3.2%, meaning beneficiaries received a 3.2% increase to their January 2025 payment compared to January 2024.

Which beneficiaries receive the 2026 COLA

All people receiving Social Security retirement benefits will receive the COLA. This includes workers who claimed at 62 or later, and their spouses and ex-spouses who receive benefits on their record. Survivor benefits — payments to widows, widowers, children, and dependent parents — also increase by the COLA percentage.

People receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) also receive the COLA. When a disabled worker reaches full retirement age, their SSDI payment converts to a retirement benefit at the same amount, and the COLA continues to apply.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients receive a federal COLA increase, but the situation is more complex in some states. The federal SSI payment amount increases by the COLA, but 10 states (California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, and Pennsylvania) provide their own state supplement. Whether that state supplement increases is determined by each state's law, not by the federal COLA. You should contact your state's SSI program to learn whether your state supplement will increase in 2026.

State-specific SSI supplements and how they interact with COLA

States that provide a supplement to SSI have different rules about whether that supplement increases when the federal COLA takes effect. Some states tie their supplement to the federal COLA automatically. Others adjust their supplement based on state budget decisions or legislative action, which may or may not happen each year.

California, for example, provides a state supplement to SSI recipients, and that supplement has historically increased with the federal COLA, though the state legislature must approve the increase. New York provides a supplement and has a formula that ties it to the federal COLA. Hawaii, Illinois, and other states have their own rules. If you receive SSI and live in one of these 10 states, your total payment in January 2026 will include the federal COLA on the federal portion, but your state supplement may or may not increase depending on your state's decision.

To find out whether your state will increase its SSI supplement in 2026, contact your state's SSI program directly. The Social Security Administration's website lists contact information for each state's supplement program. Do not assume your state supplement will increase just because the federal COLA does.

How COLA affects your benefit if you work

If you are under full retirement age and still working, Social Security reduces your benefit by $1 for every $2 you earn above an annual earnings limit. That limit changes each year, and it may change again in 2026. The 2025 earnings limit is $23,400. The exact 2026 limit will be announced in December 2025.

The COLA itself does not change this earnings limit — the limit is set by a different formula based on national average wages. However, both the COLA and the earnings limit are announced around the same time, so you may see them discussed together. If you work and receive benefits, you should check the 2026 earnings limit when it is announced to understand how your work income will affect your payment.

Once you reach full retirement age, the earnings limit no longer applies, and you receive your full benefit plus the COLA, regardless of how much you earn.

When you will see the 2026 COLA in your payment

The 2026 COLA takes effect on January 1, 2026. If you receive benefits by direct deposit, your January 2026 payment (usually deposited in early January, depending on your birth date) will include the increase. If you receive a paper check, it will arrive with the new amount. You will not receive a separate notice telling you the COLA has been applied — it will simply appear in your payment.

Social Security will mail a notice in December 2025 showing your new benefit amount and explaining the COLA. Keep this notice for your records, as you may need it for tax purposes or to report to other programs.

If you have questions about your specific payment amount or whether the COLA was applied correctly, you can contact Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 or visit your local Social Security office. You can also create an account on ssa.gov to view your payment information online.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the 2026 COLA be higher or lower than 2025?

The 2026 COLA will be announced October 16, 2025, and depends entirely on inflation data through September 2025. The 2025 COLA was 3.2%. There is no way to know the 2026 amount in advance.

Do I need to do anything to receive the 2026 COLA?

No. The COLA is applied automatically to your benefit in January 2026. You do not need to contact Social Security or take any action.

If I receive SSI, will my payment increase in 2026?

The federal SSI payment will increase by the COLA. If you live in one of the 10 states that provide a supplement, contact your state's SSI program to learn whether your state supplement will increase. The federal COLA does not automatically increase state supplements.

Does COLA affect Medicare premiums?

Medicare Part B and Part D premiums are set annually and may increase or decrease based on program costs, not directly on COLA. However, there is a "hold harmless" rule that prevents most beneficiaries' Part B premium from rising more than their COLA increase. Your actual premium change depends on your situation and income.

What if I think my 2026 COLA was calculated wrong?

Contact Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 or visit your local office. Bring your December 2025 benefit notice showing the new amount. Social Security can review your record and explain how the COLA was applied to your specific benefit.