While we won’t know the exact percentage until Oct. 24, an advocacy group for seniors has set its predictions for the change.<\/p>\n
WASHINGTON \u2014 The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment announcement is set to be revealed on Friday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The annual\u00a0COLA announcement<\/a> will reveal how much money retirees will receive on their checks every month starting in January 2026. The announcement will arrive later than expected due to the ongoing government shutdown, which prompted a postponement of the initial Oct. 15 announcement date.\u00a0<\/p>\n
While we won’t know the exact percentage until Friday, Oct. 24, an advocacy group for seniors has predicted the COLA for 2026 will be 2.7%.<\/p>\n The Senior Citizens League<\/a> 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n September’s numbers will be crucial to determining the COLA for the following year.\u00a0<\/p>\n “Seniors across America are holding their breath as we wait for the official COLA announcement in October,” TSCL Executive Director Shannon Benton said\u00a0in a September statement<\/a>. “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.”<\/p>\n If a 2.7% COLA stands, the average recipient can expect to receive more than $50 more each month starting in January.<\/p>\n Last year, the COLA was 2.5%.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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%.\u00a0<\/p>\n Almost 75 million people \u2014 including retirees, disabled people and children \u2014 receive Social Security benefits, according to the latest data.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n
On Friday, the\u00a0U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics<\/a> confirmed that the 2025 September inflation report will be released on Oct. 24 at 8:30 a.m. ET.\u00a0<\/p>\n “No other releases will be rescheduled or produced until the resumption of regular government service,” the agency said\u00a0in the notice.\u00a0<\/a>“This release allows the Social Security Administration to meet statutory deadlines necessary to ensure the accurate and timely payment of benefits.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nHow much will the 2026 cost-of-living increase be? <\/p>\n
\nWhen will Social Security COLA for 2026 be announced? <\/p>\n