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Excitement is building as retirees await the annual announcement detailing the upcoming changes to their monthly checks, which will take effect starting January 2026.
WASHINGTON — Soon, those relying on social security benefits will learn the increased amounts they can expect to receive next year.
The much-anticipated cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2026 is set to be unveiled on Friday, October 24. Originally planned for October 15, the announcement was postponed due to the ongoing government shutdown.
In a recent update, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics confirmed that the inflation report for September 2025 will be made public on Friday, October 24, at 8:30 a.m. ET.
The agency emphasized in its statement, “No other releases will be rescheduled or issued until normal government operations resume. This particular release is crucial for the Social Security Administration to fulfill statutory requirements, ensuring benefits are paid accurately and on time.”
The annual COLA announcement will reveal how much money retirees will receive on their checks every month starting in January 2026.
Almost 75 million people — including retirees, disabled people and children — receive Social Security benefits, according to the latest data.
How is COLA calculated each year?
The annual COLA is based on the average annual increases in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) from July through September. The September inflation report was delayed due to the ongoing government shutdown.
Without the September numbers, the Social Security Administration cannot calculate an accurate COLA for the following year.
In recent years, there have been calls for the agency to calculate the COLA with a different index, the CPI-E, which measures price changes based on the spending patterns of the elderly, like health care, food and medicine costs.
How much will the 2026 cost-of-living increase be?
While we won’t know the exact percentage until Oct. 24, an advocacy group for seniors predicts the COLA for 2026 will be 2.7%.
The Senior Citizens League provides an updated prediction on the COLA each month, using data from the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners. The prediction model also uses the national unemployment rate and the Federal Reserve interest rates.
September’s numbers will be crucial to determining the COLA for the following year.
“Seniors across America are holding their breath as we wait for the official COLA announcement in October,” TSCL Executive Director Shannon Benton said in a September statement. “Our research shows 39 percent of seniors depend on their benefits for all their income, so the COLA announcement has a direct effect on their quality of life.”
If a 2.7% COLA stands, the average recipient can expect to receive more than $50 more each month starting in January.
Last year, the COLA was 2.5%.
The most significant increase seen in the last decade was in 2023, when the COLA was 8.7%, the highest cost-of-living adjustment since 1981. In the previous 20 years, the COLA has averaged 2.6%.
