Social Security beneficiaries may see a 2.7% cost-of-living adjustment in 2026, according to new estimates from policy experts, based on the latest government inflation data.
That projected increase would be higher than the 2.5% adjustment beneficiaries saw in 2025.
Social Security implements a cost-of-living adjustment every year to adjust benefits for inflation. The Social Security Administration typically announces the official change for the upcoming year in October.
New estimates from both Mary Johnson, an independent Social Security and Medicare policy analyst, and the Senior Citizens League, a nonpartisan senior group, point to a 2.7% COLA for 2026, based on new July inflation data.
Last month, Johnson had estimated a 2.7% Social Security COLA for 2026, while the Senior Citizens League had projected 2.6%.
