The 2026 COLA announcement happens October 24, 2025

The Social Security Administration will announce the 2026 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) on October 24, 2025. This is the date set by law — it always falls on the second Thursday in October. The COLA is the percentage increase Social Security adds to monthly benefit payments each year to account for inflation.

The 2026 COLA will be based on inflation data from July, August, and September 2025. The SSA calculates it using the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), a measure of how prices change for everyday goods and services. Once announced, the new payment amount takes effect in January 2026.

If you receive Social Security retirement, disability (SSDI), or survivor benefits, your monthly payment will increase by whatever percentage the SSA announces. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments also increase by the same COLA, though SSI has different rules about how much you can earn and own.

Key Takeaways

  • The 2026 COLA announcement date is October 24, 2025, and this date is set by federal law.
  • The COLA percentage is calculated using inflation data from the three months before the announcement and affects all Social Security and SSI payments starting in January 2026.
  • You do not need to do anything to receive the increase — it happens automatically if you are already receiving benefits.
  • The SSA will publish the exact percentage increase and the new payment amounts on their website and in your Social Security statement.

How the COLA is calculated and why it matters

The COLA is not a raise or a bonus — it is a protection against inflation eroding the buying power of your benefits. If prices rise 3 percent in a year, your benefit payment rises 3 percent too, so you can buy roughly the same amount of groceries, medicine, and utilities as you could the year before.

The SSA uses the CPI-W because it tracks price changes for the goods and services people actually buy: food, housing, transportation, medical care, and utilities. The index is published monthly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The SSA takes the average CPI-W for July, August, and September, compares it to the same three months from the previous year, and that percentage becomes the COLA.

In years when inflation is low or prices fall, the COLA can be very small or even zero. In years when inflation is high, the COLA is larger. For example, the 2023 COLA was 8.7 percent because inflation was high in mid-2022. The 2024 COLA was 3.2 percent. The 2025 COLA was 3.2 percent. Each year's increase depends entirely on what happened to prices in those three specific months.

What happens after October 24

Once the SSA announces the COLA on October 24, the agency publishes the exact percentage and the new payment amounts on its website at ssa.gov. You can also see the new amount in your online Social Security account if you have created one. The SSA sends notices to all beneficiaries in December showing the new payment amount effective January 2026.

If you receive benefits by direct deposit, the first payment at the new amount arrives in your bank account in January. If you receive a check by mail, the first check at the new amount arrives in January as well. There is no delay and no action required on your part — the increase happens automatically.

Medicare premiums for Part B and Part D may also change in January, and those changes are sometimes announced around the same time as the COLA. Your Social Security payment may increase, but your Medicare premium may increase too, so your net increase (the amount that actually lands in your account) can be smaller than the COLA percentage suggests.

Why the announcement date is October 24 specifically

Federal law requires the SSA to announce the COLA on the second Thursday in October each year. This timing gives the agency time to process the inflation data and gives beneficiaries, employers, and state and local governments time to plan for the January change. It also gives Medicare time to calculate its premium changes for the coming year.

The October announcement is public information. News outlets, financial websites, and the SSA itself will report the percentage. You do not have to search for it — it will be widely available. If you want to see it directly from the source, the SSA posts the announcement on ssa.gov/news.

How to find your new benefit amount before January

You can see an estimate of your new 2026 benefit amount before it takes effect. If you have a my Social Security account (created at ssa.gov), you can log in and view your benefit statement, which shows your current payment amount and sometimes includes a note about the upcoming COLA once it is announced.

You can also call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 to ask what your new payment will be. Have your Social Security number ready. The representative can tell you the exact new amount once the COLA is announced in late October.

If you do not have a my Social Security account and want to create one, you can do so at ssa.gov. You will need your Social Security number, email address, and a way to verify your identity (usually a phone number or address on file with Social Security). Creating an account takes about 10 minutes.

What to do if your payment seems wrong after January

If your January 2026 payment arrives and the amount does not match what you expected, contact Social Security. It is rare for the payment to be calculated incorrectly, but errors do happen — for example, if your address changed and mail was delayed, or if there was a processing mistake.

Call 1-800-772-1213 or visit your local Social Security office to report the issue. Have your benefit statement or a recent payment stub ready so the representative can compare what you received to what you should have received. Social Security can correct overpayments or underpayments and adjust future payments if needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I find out the 2026 COLA before October 24?

No. The COLA is calculated using inflation data from July, August, and September 2025, and the SSA does not announce it until October 24. Some financial websites publish estimates based on early inflation reports, but these are guesses, not official figures. The only official announcement comes from the SSA on October 24.

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

No. If you are receiving Social Security or SSI, the increase happens automatically in January 2026. You do not need to contact Social Security, fill out a form, or take any action. The new payment amount straightforward appears in your bank account or arrives by check.

Will my Medicare premium go up by the same amount as my COLA?

Not necessarily. Your Social Security payment increases by the COLA percentage, but Medicare Part B and Part D premiums are set separately based on Medicare's costs. Your net increase (the amount that actually reaches your account after Medicare premiums are deducted) may be smaller than the COLA percentage. The SSA will show both figures in your December notice.

What if I am not receiving benefits yet but plan to claim in 2026?

The COLA does not affect when you claim or how much you receive at your first payment. The COLA only increases payments for people already receiving benefits. If you claim in 2026, your first payment is based on your earnings record and the age at which you claim, not on the 2026 COLA.

How do I know if the COLA was calculated correctly?

You can verify the COLA by checking the SSA's official announcement on ssa.gov/news on October 24, 2025. The announcement includes the percentage and explains how it was calculated. If you want to see how it affects your specific payment, log into your my Social Security account or call 1-800-772-1213.