WASHINGTON — Millions of Social Security recipients will get a 2.8% cost-of-living increase to their monthly checks beginning in January, the Social Security Administration announced Friday .

This year's announcement for the cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, was delayed due to the ongoing government shutdown. It was initially supposed to be announced nine days earlier on Oct. 15.

The 2026 COLA for retirees translates to an average increase of about $56 per month, agency officials said.

How much has social security increased in recent years?

Recipients received a 2.5% increase in their benefits in 2025 and a 3.2% increase in 2024, after a historically large 8.7% benefit increase in 2023, brought on by record 40-year-high inflation .

The Senior Citizens League, an advocacy

See Full Page