Over the next few days, the US public will learn the percentage of the 2026 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA), which represents an increase in Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments. Social Security payments include benefits for retired workers, survivors, and recipients of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).
The Social Security Administration (SSA) calculates the COLA based on inflation to help maintain the purchasing power of beneficiaries. Specifically, the COLA is tied to the annual increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).
The calculation compares CPI-W data from the third quarter of the previous year with the third quarter of the current year, covering July, August, and September of both years. If the CPI-W shows an annual increase, the SSA raises Social Security payments the following year.
The 2026 COLA announcement was originally scheduled for October 15, but due to the government shutdown and staffing shortages, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) did not release the necessary data in time. The new date has now been set.
When will the 2026 Social Security COLA be announced?
The 2026 cost-of-living adjustment will be announced on Friday, October 24. The BLS confirmed that it will release the September Consumer Price Index report on that date, providing the latest data needed to calculate the COLA.
“The Social Security Administration will use this publication to generate and announce the 2026 cost-of-living adjustment, also on October 24,” the agency said in an email shared with CBS News.
When does the COLA go into effect?
Although the 2026 COLA will be announced on October 24, beneficiaries of Social Security and SSI will need to wait a few months to see the increase reflected in their payments.
The 2026 COLA will be applied for the first time to payments due in January 2026. According to projections from the Senior Citizens League, the COLA could be 2.7 percent, which would raise the average payment for retired workers by $54, from $2,008 to $2,062.
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To estimate new payment amounts, beneficiaries can apply the COLA percentage to their current benefits, but this remains only a projection until the official adjustment is announced.
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