2026 Social Security Checks Rise With 2.8% COLA as January Payments Roll Out

Overview

• January payments now reflect the 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment, lifting the average benefit to about $2,071, with checks issued on Jan. 14, 21, and 28 based on birth dates.
• Medicare Part B premiums climb to $202.90 in 2026, a deduction that reduces many beneficiaries’ net take-home from the COLA.
• The maximum monthly benefit for those who wait until age 70 reaches $5,251 in 2026, a level generally requiring 35 years of earnings at or near the taxable maximum.
• A temporary $6,000 deduction for people 65 and older applies for 2026 with phaseouts beginning above $75,000 for single filers and $150,000 for joint filers, and it is scheduled to expire in 2028.
• Rule changes include a higher Social Security taxable wage base of $184,500 (about $521 more in payroll tax for top earners) and increased earnings limits for early claimants to $24,480, rising to $65,160 in the year they reach full retirement age.