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Social Security benefits will rise 2.8% in January, adding $56 a month for 75 million recipients, the Social Security Administration said Friday. The 2026 cost-of-living adjustment edges above last year’s 2.5% increase; over the past decade, COLA has averaged 3.1%. The announcement followed September inflation data that ticked up to the highest level since January, the final input in the calculation. “Social Security is a promise kept,” Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano said, emphasizing that benefits reflect current conditions. The agency will also raise the taxable earnings cap from $176,100 to $184,500 and begin mailing notices in early December.

Prepared by Christopher Adams and reviewed by editorial team.