What the 2026 SSDI COLA will be

The Social Security Administration has not yet announced the 2026 COLA percentage. The announcement typically comes in October of the year before — so the 2026 figure will be released in October 2025. That announcement will be based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) measured from the third quarter of 2024 through the third quarter of 2025.

The 2025 COLA was 2.5 percent, which means SSDI payments increased by that amount in January 2025. The 2026 increase will be calculated the same way, but the size of the adjustment depends entirely on inflation over those nine months. If inflation is higher, the COLA will be higher. If inflation is lower, the COLA will be lower. There is no minimum or maximum — the adjustment is whatever the formula produces.

Once the SSA announces the percentage in October 2025, the new payment amount will take effect on your January 2026 benefit check. You do not need to do anything to receive the increase; it happens automatically if you are receiving SSDI.

Key Takeaways

  • The 2026 COLA percentage will be announced in October 2025 and is based on inflation data from mid-2024 through mid-2025.
  • The increase takes effect automatically in January 2026 for all SSDI recipients; you do not need to report it or take any action.
  • SSDI recipients who also receive Medicare Part B premiums will see those premiums adjusted separately, sometimes offsetting part of the COLA increase.
  • If you are working under a work incentive program, your COLA increase may affect your earnings threshold or trial work period calculations.

How the 2026 COLA is calculated

The COLA is not set by policy or vote. It is a mathematical result. The SSA takes the average CPI-W for July, August, and September of the current year and compares it to the average CPI-W for July, August, and September of the previous year. The percentage change between those two three-month periods is the COLA.

The CPI-W measures the average change in prices paid by urban wage earners and clerical workers for goods and services — food, housing, transportation, medical care, and everything else a household buys. It is published monthly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Because the COLA formula uses only three months of data from each year, a single month of high or low inflation can shift the final number, but the effect is diluted across the three-month average.

For 2026, the SSA will use CPI-W data from July through September 2025 and compare it to July through September 2024. That comparison will produce a single percentage, which applies to all SSDI beneficiaries uniformly. There are no individual variations — everyone on SSDI gets the same percentage increase.

When the 2026 increase takes effect and how to verify it

The 2026 COLA increase will appear in your January 2026 benefit payment. If you receive direct deposit, the new amount will land in your bank account on the usual payment date for your birth date (typically the second, third, or fourth Wednesday of the month). If you receive a paper check, it will arrive by mail with the new amount.

You can verify the increase by checking your benefit statement on my Social Security (ssa.gov/myaccount). Log in with your username and password, and your current benefit amount will display under "Benefit Information." You can also call the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 to confirm your new payment amount, though wait times are often long. The SSA will mail a notice to your address on file in December 2025 or early January 2026 showing the new amount.

Do not assume an increase has been lost or forgotten if you do not see a notice when ready. The SSA sometimes mails notices after the payment has already been adjusted. If your January 2026 payment is not higher than your December 2025 payment, contact the SSA to ask whether the COLA was applied.

How the 2026 COLA affects Medicare Part B premiums

If you receive both SSDI and Medicare, the COLA increase may be partially or entirely offset by a Medicare Part B premium increase. The Part B premium is the monthly cost for doctor visits and outpatient care. It is deducted directly from your SSDI payment.

The Medicare Part B premium for 2026 has not been announced yet, but it will be set in the fall of 2025. In recent years, Part B premiums have increased faster than the COLA, which means some beneficiaries have seen their net payment increase shrink or disappear. For example, if your COLA is 2.5 percent but your Part B premium rises 3 percent, your actual take-home payment may decrease even though your benefit amount increased.

The SSA has a rule called the "hold harmless" provision that protects most beneficiaries: your net SSDI payment cannot go down because of a Part B premium increase. However, this protection does not explore to people who are newly may be able to access for Medicare or who did not receive it in the prior year. If you fall into that category, a large Part B premium increase could reduce your net payment despite the COLA.

Impact on work incentives and earnings thresholds

If you are working and using a work incentive program such as Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE), Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PLAN), or the Student Earned Income Exclusion, the 2026 COLA may affect your calculations. These programs allow you to exclude certain earnings or expenses from the SSA's review, which can let you work more hours or earn more money while keeping your SSDI payment.

The IRWE program, for example, lets you deduct the cost of items or services you need because of your disability — such as medications, therapy, or transportation — from your gross earnings. The threshold for how much you can earn before your benefit is reduced does not change with the COLA, but your benefit amount does, which can change how much you can afford to spend on work-related disability costs.

If you are in a trial work period (TWP), the COLA does not affect the trial work period itself — it still lasts nine months and you can earn any amount without losing your benefit. However, once the TWP ends, the SSA uses your average earnings during that period to decide whether you can continue working. A higher benefit amount may make it easier to justify continued work, though this is not automatic and depends on your specific situation.

Planning ahead for the 2026 COLA

You do not need to take action to receive the 2026 COLA — it happens automatically. However, you can prepare by understanding how it might affect your situation. If you receive Medicare, review your Part B premium notice when it arrives in the fall of 2025 so you know what your net increase will be. If you are working, consider whether the higher benefit amount changes your work capacity or your need for work incentives.

If you are planning to return to work in 2026 or increase your work hours, the COLA increase gives you a slightly higher safety net. Your benefit amount will be higher, which means the earnings threshold at which your benefit is reduced will also be higher (because the SSA uses a formula based on your benefit amount). This can give you more room to earn before your payment is affected.

Keep your contact information current with the SSA so you receive the December 2025 notice about your new benefit amount. If your address or phone number has changed, update it on my Social Security or call 1-800-772-1213.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the 2026 COLA be higher or lower than 2025?

That depends on inflation between mid-2024 and mid-2025. The 2025 COLA was 2.5 percent. If inflation is higher during the measurement period for 2026, the COLA will be higher. If inflation is lower, the COLA will be lower. The SSA will announce the exact percentage in October 2025.

What if I disagree with the COLA amount I receive?

The COLA is calculated by a fixed formula and does not change based on individual circumstances. If you believe your payment is wrong, contact the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 or visit your local Social Security office to request a benefit verification. The SSA can confirm whether the COLA was applied correctly to your account.

Does the 2026 COLA affect Supplemental Security Income (SSI)?

No. SSI and SSDI are separate programs with different payment structures. SSI recipients receive a COLA adjustment, but it is calculated and applied separately. If you receive both SSDI and SSI, each program's COLA is handled independently.

Can I request a larger COLA increase?

No. The COLA is determined by the Consumer Price Index formula and applies uniformly to all SSDI beneficiaries. There is no process to request a higher increase or to opt out of the adjustment.

What happens to my COLA if I am working and earning above the substantial gainful activity level?

If your earnings are high enough that the SSA determines you are no longer disabled, your SSDI payment stops, and you do not receive the COLA. However, you may be able to use a work incentive to continue receiving a reduced benefit while you work. The COLA still applies to that reduced amount.