Social Security’s cost-of-living adjustment announced for 2026

Millions of Social Security recipients will see a 2.8 percent cost-of-living increase in their monthly checks next year, the agency said Friday.

The ongoing government shutdown delayed the annual announcement of the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), which is tied to the consumer price index, by about a week. On Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said prices rose 3 percent in September, year-over-year, compared with 2.9 percent in August.