The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment will be 2.8% in 2026, the Social Security Administration said on Friday.

Social Security retirement benefits will increase by about $56 per month on average starting in January, according to the agency.

The cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, provides an annual adjustment to both Social Security and Supplemental Security Income to help ensure those benefits keep up with inflation . About 75 million people received benefit checks from those programs in August, according to the Social Security Administration.

But for beneficiaries who rely on those payments to cover essential expenses, the size of the COLA for 2026 might not ease their struggle with higher prices.

Social Security is the primary source of income for about 40% of olde

See Full Page