Overview
- Benefits will rise 2.8% starting in January 2026, with SSI reflecting the change on Dec. 31, 2025.
- The average retiree stands to receive roughly $56 more per month, affecting about 71 million beneficiaries.
- Senate Democrats unveiled the Social Security Emergency Inflation Relief Act to add $200 per month through July 2026 for Social Security, SSI, railroad retirement, and certain VA benefits.
- The Congressional Budget Office has not scored the emergency boost, leaving its total cost and any effect on trust fund depletion dates unresolved.
- Advocates warn the raise may be eroded by higher expenses, including a Medicare Part B premium near $206.50 per month, while a separate push to switch COLAs to the CPI‑E would lift future increases by about 0.2 percentage points but deepen long‑term shortfalls by an estimated 11%.