Overview

• The Bureau of Labor Statistics will publish the September 2025 CPI on Oct. 24 at 8:30 a.m. ET, enabling the Social Security Administration to set the 2026 cost-of-living adjustment that day.
• The BLS recalled staff specifically to assemble the CPI report and said no other regular data releases will occur until normal government operations resume.
• The SSA says about 75 million beneficiaries will receive uninterrupted payments, and the COLA will take effect for checks beginning Jan. 1, 2026.
• Independent estimates from senior advocates and analysts point to a roughly 2.7%–2.8% COLA, which would add about $50–$52 to the average monthly benefit.
• The COLA is calculated from the CPI-W for July through September, the shutdown delayed the usual mid-October announcement, and SSA notes many non-payment services remain limited due to furloughs.