Overview
- The Social Security Administration confirmed a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment for 2026, adding about $56 per month on average to Social Security and SSI payments starting in January.
- Electronic COLA notices will go out in early December, and beneficiaries need a my Social Security account set up by November 19 to receive the digital notification.
- Paper notices will still be mailed but may arrive later, and the SSA advises not to report postal delays until January.
- A new Senate bill, the Social Security Emergency Inflation Relief Act (S.3078), proposes $200 monthly payments in early 2026 for recipients of Social Security retirement or disability, SSI, railroad retirement, and veterans’ disability or pensions.
- The proposed supplement would be non-taxable, protected from garnishment, and added on top of the COLA, though its passage is uncertain and critics cite budget concerns and potential offsets such as higher Medicare Part B premiums.