Social Security Announces 2026 Payment Adjustment: 4 Things to Know

The agency announced a 2.8 percent, or $56 average increase, for payments.

Blank Social Security checks are run through a printer at the US Treasury printing facility in Philadelphia, Pa., on July 18, 2011. William Thomas Cain/Getty Images

Monthly Social Security payments for tens of millions of retired Americans are set to receive a 2.8 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) increase throughout 2026, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced on Friday.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments, which are sent to disabled people, will see the same 2.8 percent increase throughout 2026, according to the agency.

What It Means

The 2.8 percent COLA means that Social Security retirement benefits will increase by around $56 on average, starting in January of next year.