FILE-In this photo illustration, a Social Security card sits alongside checks from the U.S. Treasury on October 14, 2021 in Washington, D.C. (Photo illustration by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Millions of Social Security beneficiaries will see a new cost of living adjustment starting next year.
How much is the Social Security COLA for 2026?
Why you should care:
Social Security benefits and Supplemental payments will increase 2.8% in 2026 and on average retirement benefits will rise $56 monthly beginning in January, according to the Social Security Administration.
Increased payments to nearly 7.5 million recipients receiving Social Security will start on December 31, 2025.
RELATED: Social Security COLA announcement for 2026 may be delayed due to government shutdown
The Social Security Administration will start informing recipients about their new benefit amount by mail starting in early December.
But beneficiaries with a personal Social Security account can view their COLA notice online. The agency explained that you can set up text or email alerts when a new message–such as your COLA notice–is available in their Social Security account.
According to the Social Security Administration, recipients will need to have a personal Social Security account by November 19 to see their COLA notice online and can visit ssa.gov/myaccount.
FOX Business reported that the COLA increase was expected to be released on Oct. 15, but the Bureau of Labor Statistics was affected by the government shutdown, which delayed the release of September CPI inflation data that's used to calculate Social Security's COLA.
The annual cost of living adjustment has averaged roughly 3.1% over the last 10 years and was 2.5% in 2025.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Social Security Administration and FOX Business. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.