Overview
- September’s CPI report, scheduled for Oct. 15 and used to set the 2026 COLA, is at risk because the shutdown has furloughed all but one of the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2,055 employees.
- BLS says it will resume operations and update its release calendar once funding is restored, yet processing time means a delay is likely even after a funding deal.
- Roughly 72 to 72.5 million Social Security and SSI beneficiaries would have to wait for the announcement that guides 2026 budgeting.
- Payments will continue during the shutdown, but about 12% of SSA employees are furloughed, slowing services such as benefit verification, FOIA responses, Medicare card replacements, and overpayment processing.
- The Senior Citizens League projects a roughly 2.7% COLA, which would add about $54 to the average retired worker’s monthly benefit, pending final CPI data.