(The Hill) -- Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits will rise 2.8 percent in 2026 after the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), the federal government announced Friday.

The Social Security Administration announced the 2026 COLA as the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the September consumer price index (CPI) report. The CPI report, which tracks inflation, had been delayed due to the government shutdown.

But the Trump administration brought back enough BLS staffers to calculate the report, which is essential to determining the COLA for Social Security benefits.

Annual inflation rose to 3 percent in September, up from 2.9 percent in August, with prices rising 0.3 percent last month alone. While both annual and monthly inflation were slightly lower th

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