Social Security COLA 2026: 2.8% Increase and What It Added to Your Check
Updated · figures checked against the sources below
The 2026 cost-of-living adjustment, what it added to the average check, what was left after the Medicare premium increase, and how it compares with every COLA since 2000.
The 2026 Social Security cost-of-living adjustment is 2.8%, paid from January 2026 (SSA, 2026 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Fact Sheet). SSA estimated it raised the average retired worker’s benefit from $2,015 to $2,071 a month. The Medicare Part B premium rose $17.90 at the same time, to $202.90 (CMS, 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles (released 14 November 2025)), which most people pay out of the same check. For 2027 the COLA is 3.6%.
| Beneficiary | Before | After | Raise |
|---|---|---|---|
| All retired workers | $2,015 | $2,071 | +$56 |
| Aged couple, both receiving benefits | $3,120 | $3,208 | +$88 |
| Widowed mother and two children | $3,792 | $3,898 | +$106 |
| Aged widow(er) alone | $1,867 | $1,919 | +$52 |
| Disabled worker, spouse and one or more children | $2,857 | $2,937 | +$80 |
| All disabled workers | $1,586 | $1,630 | +$44 |
What the 2.8% COLA added to your check
Before any Medicare deduction. SSA applies the percentage to your primary insurance amount and rounds the result down to the dime, and the payment down to the dollar, so a notice can differ from this by about a dollar. The hold-harmless check assumes you were entitled in November and December 2025 with Part B deducted, and pay no income-related surcharge.
The 2026 raise after the Medicare Part B premium
The standard Part B premium went from $185.00 in 2025 to $202.90 in 2026, up $17.90 a month (CMS, 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles (released 14 November 2025)). For most people it is deducted from the benefit, so the deposit rose by the COLA less $17.90. The hold-harmless rule stops the premium increase from being larger than the dollar raise for most people whose premium is deducted (42 U.S.C. §1395r(f)); at 2.8% it mattered only for benefits under about $639 a month.
| Benefit in December 2025 | COLA raise | Part B increase | Net monthly raise |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1,000 | $28.00 | $17.90 | $10.10 |
| $1,500 | $42.00 | $17.90 | $24.10 |
| $2,000 | $56.00 | $17.90 | $38.10 |
| $2,500 | $70.00 | $17.90 | $52.10 |
| $3,000 | $84.00 | $17.90 | $66.10 |
Every 2026 Social Security change
| Item | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living adjustment | 2.5%in 2025 | 2.8% |
| Maximum taxable earnings (Social Security) | $176,100in 2025 | $184,500 |
| Quarter of coverage | $1,810in 2025 | $1,890 |
| Earnings test, under full retirement age | $23,400/yr ($1,950/mo)in 2025 | $24,480/yr ($2,040/mo) |
| Earnings test, year you reach full retirement age | $62,160/yr ($5,180/mo)in 2025 | $65,160/yr ($5,430/mo) |
| Substantial gainful activity, non-blind | $1,620/moin 2025 | $1,690/mo |
| Substantial gainful activity, blind | $2,700/moin 2025 | $2,830/mo |
| Maximum benefit, worker retiring at full retirement age | $4,018/moin 2025 | $4,152/mo |
| SSI federal payment, individual | $967/moin 2025 | $994/mo |
| SSI federal payment, couple | $1,450/moin 2025 | $1,491/mo |
More on each: 2026 wage base and maximum tax · 2026 earnings limit · maximum benefit 2026 · 2026 payment schedule.
Social Security COLA history, 2000 to 2027
Over the ten years 2017–2026 the COLA averaged 3.1% a year; it was zero in 2010, 2011 and 2016 and peaked at 8.7% in 2023. The 2.8% for 2026 matched 2019. The 3.6% COLA for 2027 →
| Year | COLA |
|---|---|
| 2027 | 3.6% |
| 2026 | 2.8% |
| 2025 | 2.5% |
| 2024 | 3.2% |
| 2023 | 8.7% |
| 2022 | 5.9% |
| 2021 | 1.3% |
| 2020 | 1.6% |
| 2019 | 2.8% |
| 2018 | 2.0% |
| 2017 | 0.3% |
| 2016 | 0.0% |
| 2015 | 1.7% |
| 2014 | 1.5% |
| 2013 | 1.7% |
| 2012 | 3.6% |
| 2011 | 0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.0% |
| 2009 | 5.8% |
| 2008 | 2.3% |
| 2007 | 3.3% |
| 2006 | 4.1% |
| 2005 | 2.7% |
| 2004 | 2.1% |
| 2003 | 1.4% |
| 2002 | 2.6% |
| 2001 | 3.5% |
| 2000 | 2.5% |
A COLA keeps the benefit level; your withdrawals decide whether the rest of your income keeps up. QuantCalc runs your whole retirement — Social Security, withdrawals, taxes, health costs and Medicare surcharges — year by year.
Run the free tax-aware simulation →Common questions
What is the Social Security COLA for 2026?
2.8%, applied to benefits paid from January 2026 (SSA, 2026 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Fact Sheet). It was based on the rise in the CPI-W from the third quarter of 2024 to the third quarter of 2025.
How much did Social Security go up in 2026?
By 2.8%. SSA estimated the average retired worker’s benefit rose from $2,015 to $2,071 a month, and an aged couple’s from $3,120 to $3,208 (SSA, 2026 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Fact Sheet).
What is the cost of living increase for 2026 for other programs?
The 2.8% is Social Security’s, and Supplemental Security Income got the same: the SSI federal payment rose to $994/mo for an individual (SSA, 2026 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Fact Sheet). VA compensation, military retired pay and federal civil-service annuities have their own adjustment rules, set by their own agencies; see the FERS pension calculator and the military retirement pay calculator.
Did the Part B premium take the whole 2026 raise?
Only for small benefits. The premium rose $17.90 a month (CMS, 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles (released 14 November 2025)); the 2.8% COLA was larger than that for any benefit above about $639, and below that the hold-harmless rule limited the premium increase to the raise.
What is the COLA for 2027?
3.6%, announced by SSA (SSA 2027 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Fact Sheet). 2027 COLA and every 2027 change.
Sources
- SSA, 2026 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Fact Sheet
- SSA Office of the Chief Actuary, Cost-of-Living Adjustments (automatic determinations)
- CMS, 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles (released 14 November 2025)
- SSA 2027 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Fact Sheet
- 42 U.S.C. §1395r(f)
Every figure on this page is read at build time from a dataset or computed by QuantCalc’s calculation modules, and was checked against the documents above on November 4, 2026. Every figure with its source: JSON. QuantCalc is calculation software, not tax, legal or benefits advice.
Related
2027 Social Security COLA → COLA calculator 2027 → 2026 Part B premium → Maximum and average benefit 2026 → Claiming-age calculator →