WASHINGTON — Monthly checks for nearly 71 million Americans receiving Social Security benefits will increase by 2.8 percent next year, a slightly larger adjustment than seen in 2025.

The cost-of-living adjustment, known as COLA, will apply to Social Security benefits starting in January and increase the average benefit for retired workers by about $56 per month to $2,071, the Social Security Administration said Friday. Higher payments for Supplemental Security Income recipients will begin on Dec. 31.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics issued its September consumer price data earlier Friday, despite the government shutdown, to ensure the SSA could meet statutory requirements related to the upcoming bump in benefits.

The annual COLA, designed to ensure that the purchasing power of Social Secu

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