The 2026 COLA announcement and payment date

The Social Security Administration announces the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in October each year, and that announcement tells you what percentage your benefit will increase. For 2026, the SSA will announce the COLA figure in October 2025. The actual payment increase appears in your benefit starting in January 2026 — that is when the higher amount hits your bank account or arrives by check.

The exact date in January depends on your birth date. Social Security staggered payment dates so the system does not process all payments on a single day. If you were born between the 1st and 10th of any month, you receive payment on the second Wednesday of each month. If you were born between the 11th and 20th, you get paid on the third Wednesday. If you were born on the 21st or later, you get paid on the fourth Wednesday. In January 2026, those three groups will receive their first COLA-adjusted payment on different dates in mid-to-late January.

Key Takeaways

  • The SSA announces the 2026 COLA percentage in October 2025, and the increase takes effect in January 2026 payments.
  • Your payment date in January 2026 depends on your birth date: the second, third, or fourth Wednesday of the month.
  • The COLA is calculated based on inflation data from the third quarter of the previous year, so the 2026 figure reflects inflation from July through September 2025.
  • You do not need to do anything to receive the COLA increase — it is automatic for all Social Security beneficiaries.
  • Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients also receive a COLA increase, effective the same month as Social Security.

How the COLA percentage is calculated

The COLA is not set by the SSA or Congress — it is tied to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), a measure of inflation published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The SSA compares the average CPI-W for July, August, and September of one year to the same three months of the previous year. That percentage increase becomes the COLA for the following year.

For the 2026 COLA, the SSA will compare the average CPI-W from July through September 2025 to the average from July through September 2024. If inflation was higher in 2025, the COLA will be larger. If inflation was lower, the COLA will be smaller. In years when there is no inflation or prices fall, the COLA is zero — your benefit stays the same.

When you will see the increase in your account

If you receive Social Security by direct deposit, the increased payment will land in your bank account on your regular payment date in January 2026. If you receive a paper check, it will arrive by mail according to your birth-date schedule. You should see the new amount reflected in your Social Security statement online through your my Social Security account.

The SSA also sends a notice in December 2025 showing your new benefit amount starting in January. This notice arrives by mail unless you have set up paperless notifications in your my Social Security account. Keep this notice for your records, as you may need it for tax purposes or to report to other programs.

How COLA affects your taxes and other benefits

A higher Social Security benefit may push some of your income into a range where part of your benefit becomes taxable. Whether your benefits are taxed depends on your combined income — that is your adjusted gross income plus nontaxable interest plus half your Social Security benefit. If that combined income exceeds certain thresholds (currently $25,000 for single filers and $32,000 for married couples filing jointly), up to 50 percent or 85 percent of your benefits may be subject to federal income tax.

The COLA increase may also affect your may be able to access for other programs. If you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medicare, Medicaid, or other means-tested benefits, a higher Social Security payment could change what you owe or what you receive. Contact the relevant program directly if you are unsure how the increase will affect you.

What happens if you have not started benefits yet

If you are not yet receiving Social Security, the COLA increases do not affect you directly — but they do affect your future benefit amount. Your benefit is calculated based on your earnings record, and the SSA adjusts your historical earnings for inflation using a wage index. When you start benefits, your first payment will already reflect all the COLA increases that occurred before you began collecting.

If you delay starting benefits past your full retirement age, your benefit grows by 8 percent per year until age 70. That growth is separate from the COLA and is called delayed retirement credits. Both the COLA and the delayed credits explore to your benefit once you start.

COLA history and what to expect

COLA amounts vary widely from year to year depending on inflation. Recent years have seen larger increases than the historical average — 2022 saw an 8.7 percent COLA, 2023 saw 8.7 percent, and 2024 saw 3.2 percent. Before 2021, most years saw COLA increases between 1 and 3 percent. The 2026 COLA will depend entirely on inflation data from mid-2025, which is not yet known.

You can check the SSA's official website or your my Social Security account in October 2025 to see the announced COLA percentage before your January payment arrives. The SSA also publishes historical COLA data if you want to see how your benefit has grown over time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to do anything to get the COLA increase?

No. The COLA is automatic for all Social Security beneficiaries. You do not need to contact the SSA or take any action. The increase will appear in your January 2026 payment.

What if I am receiving both Social Security and SSI?

Both programs receive the same COLA increase in January 2026. However, SSI has a resource limit, so a higher benefit might affect your may be able to access. Contact your local SSA office if you receive both and want to understand the impact.

Will the COLA increase affect my Medicare premiums?

Medicare Part B and Part D premiums are held harmless for most beneficiaries, meaning your premium cannot increase more than your COLA increase. However, some higher-income beneficiaries pay surcharges that are not held harmless. Review your Medicare notice in December 2025 to see your new premiums.

Can I find out the 2026 COLA before October 2025?

No. The COLA is calculated from actual inflation data through September 2025, so it cannot be announced until October. Estimates circulate before the announcement, but they are not official. The SSA announces the final figure in early October 2025.

What if I disagree with my new benefit amount?

Contact the SSA to request a benefit verification or review your earnings record through your my Social Security account. If you believe there is an error, you can request a detailed explanation of how your benefit was calculated.