Do you know what COLA is? In case you don’t, we are here to tell you all about it because it is the reason why there will be an important increment on the Social Security benefits many people will receive in 2026. Everybody should be informed about issues related to their economy, which is why if you want to know all the information about COLA, you should defenitely keep reading because we are going to explain it very clearly. So, let’s get started!

Social Security increment in 2026

The U.S. Social Security adjusts its payments every year so that people can continue facing increasing prices due to inflation. This adjustment is called COLA (cost of living adjustment) and it will go from 2.5% to 2.8% in 2026. Even though this percentage is not the highest in history, it is higher than the average adjustment of 2.3% that has been common since 2010, according to NASDAQ.

What makes this increase historic is that it marks the first time this century that people receive a minimum raise of 2.5% for five years in a row. This means that although the percentage itself is not record-breaking, the consistent pattern over several years is something that has not happened in a very long time.

Exact amount of the 2026 increments

There will be new amounts of money beneficiaries will receive, so let’s have a look at them:

  • Retired workers: Their benefits will rise by $56 a month, reaching $2,701 per month.
  • Workers with disabilities: Their checks will increase by $44, bringing the monthly total to $1,630.
  • Maximum Social Security benefit: This amount will rise to $5,251 a month starting in January, which represents a $143 increase.
  • SSI (Supplemental Security Income): individuals will receive $944 and eligible couples will receive $1,491.

Five states with the highest increments

Although the COLA percentage is the same for everybody, the amount of money people receive varies because some states already have higher average benefits. According to NASDAQ, these five states will see the largest increases in monthly benefits:

  • Connecticut: Increase of $60.66, bringing the total to $2,227.05
  • New Jersey: Increase of $60.57, bringing the total to $2,223.74
  • New Hampshire: Increase of $60.11, bringing the total to $2,206.90
  • Delaware: Increase of $59.97, bringing the total to $2,201.81
  • Maryland: Increase of $58.96, bringing the total to $2,164.77

All of these increments are higher than the national average of $56 for retirees.

Payments schedule in December

What most beneficiaries want to know is when they will receive the payments and this depends on the birth date of each beneficiary. These are the dates food December 2025:

  • December 10: Birth dates from the 1st to the 10th
  • December 17: Birth dates from the 11th to the 20th
  • December 24: Birth dates from the 21st to the 31st
  • December 31: SSI payment

Payment dates for January 2026

This coming January the payments will follow the same organization:

  • January 14: Birth dates from the 1st to the 10th
  • January 21: Birth dates from the 11th to the 20th
  • January 28: Birth dates from the 21st to the 31st
  • January 30: SSI payment

Remember that Social Security payments are normally sent on the second, third and fourth Wednesday of the month, always depending on the birth date of the beneficiary.

Stay tuned for COLA every year

The COLA increase for 2026 is an important change for millions of people who rely on Social Security. So, with this information we have explained in simple terms, maybe you have understood how these changes will affect their Social Security benefits in the upcoming year. We know economic terms like COLA might seem very complex to understand, but we hope this article was useful.