Social Security Benefits to Increase 2.8% in 2026

The Social Security Administration (SSA) has announced the Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for 2026, confirming that Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for approximately 75 million people will increase by 2.8%. On average, Social Security retirement benefits will increase by about $56 per month starting in January.

This COLA increase is scheduled to begin with Social Security benefits payable in January 2026, while SSI recipients will see their increased payments starting on December 31, 2025.

Key 2026 Adjustments at a Glance:

Beyond the benefit increase, the SSA is also updating several important limits:

• Taxable Maximum: The maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax will increase to $184,500.

• Earnings Limit (Under Full Retirement Age): The limit for workers who are younger than full retirement age will increase to $24,480. (Note: $1 is deducted from benefits for every $2 earned over this limit.)

• Earnings Limit (Reaching Full Retirement Age): The limit for people reaching their full retirement age in 2026 will increase to $65,160 (until the month they reach full retirement age).

Getting Your COLA Notice

Social Security COLA notices detailing your new benefit amount will be available online in late November 2025 in the Message Center of your my Social Security account. This is a secure and convenient way to access your benefit information.

Read the Full Press Release

For complete details on all the adjustments for 2026, including specific benefit and earnings amounts, you can read the official press release directly from the Social Security Administration:

Social Security Announces 2.8 Percent Benefit Increase for 2026

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