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Social Security benefits may be subject to a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) each year.
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This year’s COLA announcement was delayed due to the government shutdown.
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While retirees should now be feeling their benefits grow, there’s still a missing piece of the puzzle.
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The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook ›
There’s a reason Social Security seniors have October 15th marked on their calendars for most of the year. On that day, the Social Security Administration (SSA) was scheduled to announce the official cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2026.
However, the government shutdown delayed the inflation data needed to calculate the COLA. This in turn forced the SSA to postpone the 2026 Publication of COLA.
However, we currently have the official Social Security COLA number for next year. And that’s a number that seniors can be reasonably happy with. However, a large piece of the puzzle is still missing.
in 2025 at the beginning of the year, social insurance payments for senior citizens increased by 2.5%. in 2026 benefits will increase by 2.8%, which is a better increase than in 2025.
Of course, some seniors may not be happy with the 2.8% COLA, seeing as how inflation continues. But a COLA higher than 2.8% would mean that inflation is really a huge problem.
In other words, the higher the Social Security COLA, the more problematic inflation is. So what Social Security retirees lose in one case, they gain in the other.
in 2025 in August the average monthly Social Security benefit among retirees was about $2,008. This means that after a 2.8% COLA, a typical retiree’s benefit would increase by $56 per month.
Now that you know what 2026 looks like. Social Security COLA, you can get a better idea of how much your benefits will increase in the new year based on the amount you collect today. However, one piece of information may be missing.
For those enrolled in Social Security and Medicare at the same time, Part B premiums are paid out of their monthly benefits. However, if the standard monthly Part B premium increases significantly in 2026, it could reduce your COLA.
Earlier this year, Medicare trustees predicted that by 2026, the standard monthly Part B premium will be $206.50, more than $20 more than in 2025. regular $185 monthly Part B premium. If this forecast is correct, the purchasing power of Social Security seniors could decrease by 2.8 percent.