The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment for 2026 is expected to be formally announced in October. However, the federal government shutdown may affect the timing of that news.

Millions of Social Security beneficiaries are poised to get a boost to their monthly checks next year. When the Social Security COLA is announced, experts have projected the benefit increase may fall in the range of 2.7% to 2.8% , based on the most recent government inflation data.

Beneficiaries have seen several significant increases in their benefits in recent years — the largest was 8.7% in 2022 — due to higher inflation. But as the pace of inflation has come down, so have the cost-of-living adjustments.

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