Annual benefit change
Cost-of-living adjustment (COLA)
COLA is the yearly increase designed to help Social Security and SSI payments keep pace with changes in living costs. The 2026 COLA is 2.8%.
The one-minute answer
What this number means
A 2.8% COLA applies to eligible Social Security and SSI payments for 2026. Your final deposit can look different because of rounding, Medicare premiums, taxes or other adjustments.
At a glance
The important numbers
Plain-language guide
How the rule works
What COLA changes
COLA changes the benefit amount under the annual adjustment rules. It is applied to the benefit calculation, then the payment can be affected by other items such as Medicare premiums, tax withholding or an overpayment recovery.
That is why a 2.8% headline increase does not always mean your bank deposit rises by exactly 2.8%.
COLA is not a personal estimate
COLA is a percentage, not a new benefit calculation. It does not replace your earnings record, claiming-age rules or an official notice about your own payment.
Use the percentage to understand the broad change, then read the official notice or account information for the amount that applies to you.
Useful math
The quick math
This is a teaching example. Actual payments can differ after rounding, Medicare premiums, taxes and other adjustments.
Make it concrete
A simple example
- Start with a $2,000 monthly benefit.
- Multiply $2,000 by 0.028: the increase is about $56.
- Add $56 to $2,000: the rough new amount is $2,056.
Bottom line: The official payment notice is the final answer for a specific person.
Quick answers
Common questions
What is the Social Security COLA for 2026?
The 2026 Social Security cost-of-living adjustment is 2.8%.
Does COLA apply to SSI?
Yes. The annual adjustment also affects federal SSI maximum payment amounts, subject to the rules for the person’s payment.
Why did my payment not rise by exactly 2.8%?
Medicare premiums, taxes, rounding, overpayment recovery and other adjustments can change the amount that reaches your account.
This is an independent plain-language reference. Rules and personal amounts can change. Use the linked official source for the current rule that applies to your record.