COLA increases Social Security payments for 2026: Boosts confirmed for retirees, spouses, survivors and disability recipients

Social Security beneficiaries are set to receive a higher monthly income in 2026 after the Social Security Administration confirmed a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). The increase will raise payments for more than 75 million Americans, including retirees, spouses, survivors, disabled workers and SSI recipients. The adjustment takes effect automatically, with the first larger payments arriving in January 2026 and SSI increases beginning on 31 December 2025. The new COLA will lift the average retirement benefit from $2,008 to $2,064 per month, adding $56 to the typical retiree’s income. Spousal benefits will increase from $954 to $981, survivor benefits from $1,575 to $1,619 and average disabled-worker payments from $1,583 to $1,627. Around 7.5 million SSI recipients will also se