The 2026 COLA will be announced in October 2025

Social Security announces the cost of living adjustment (COLA) for the following year each October, based on inflation data from the third quarter. The 2026 COLA will be announced on October 10, 2025. Until that date, the exact percentage increase is unknown — it depends entirely on how much prices rose between July and September 2025.

The COLA applies to all SSDI payments starting in January 2026. If you receive SSDI, your January 2026 payment will reflect whatever percentage the Social Security Administration announces in October 2025. There is no separate COLA for SSDI; it uses the same adjustment as retirement and survivor benefits.

Recent COLAs have ranged from 0% (2016, 2017) to 8.7% (2023). The 2024 COLA was 3.2%, and the 2025 COLA was 3.2% as well. These historical rates give a rough sense of the range, but they do not predict 2026.

Key Takeaways

  • The 2026 COLA percentage will be announced on October 10, 2025, and will take effect on January 1, 2026.
  • Your SSDI payment will increase by whatever percentage is announced; there is no separate calculation for disability recipients.
  • The COLA is tied to inflation measured by the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) from July through September.
  • If you work and earn over the substantial gainful activity (SGA) limit, a COLA increase does not change your work incentive rules or SGA threshold for 2026.
  • Your Medicare Part B premium may increase separately from your SSDI payment, and the two adjustments do not always move together.

How the COLA is calculated and why it matters

The COLA is a percentage, not a fixed dollar amount. Social Security calculates it by comparing the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) in the third quarter of the current year to the third quarter of the previous year. If prices rose 2%, the COLA is 2%. If prices fell, the COLA is 0% — benefits do not decrease.

The size of your increase depends on your current payment amount. If you receive $1,200 per month and the COLA is 3%, your new payment will be $1,236. If you receive $800 per month, a 3% COLA adds $24. The percentage is the same for everyone, but the dollar amount varies by how much you currently receive.

The COLA matters because it is your only automatic adjustment to SSDI. Unlike wages, which may rise faster or slower than inflation, your SSDI payment stays the same month to month unless Congress passes a new law or you report a change in your work or living situation. The COLA is meant to keep your purchasing power from eroding as prices rise.

When you will see the increase in your bank account

SSDI payments are made on a schedule based on your birth date. Most recipients receive payment on the second, third, or fourth Wednesday of each month. In January 2026, your first payment under the new COLA will arrive on your regular payment date — you do not need to do anything to receive it.

Social Security will mail you a notice in December 2025 showing your new payment amount and explaining the COLA. Keep this notice; you may need it for tax purposes, for Medicaid or other means-tested programs, or to verify your income to a landlord or lender.

If you have questions about your specific payment date or amount, you can check your my Social Security account online at ssa.gov starting in late December 2025, or call 1-800-772-1213 to speak with a representative.

SSDI and Medicare Part B premium changes are separate

If you receive SSDI and are enrolled in Medicare Part B, you pay a monthly premium for that coverage. The Part B premium does not always increase by the same percentage as your SSDI payment. In some years, the premium stays flat while SSDI rises; in others, the premium rises faster.

The Part B premium for 2026 will be announced in November 2025, after the COLA is set. Your SSDI payment increase and your Part B premium increase are calculated independently. If your Part B premium rises more than your SSDI increase, your net SSDI payment (after the premium is deducted) may rise less than the COLA percentage, or even stay the same.

Most SSDI recipients who are on Medicare have their Part B premium deducted directly from their SSDI payment. You will see both the increase and the premium change reflected in your January 2026 payment.

How the COLA affects your work incentives and SGA threshold

The substantial gainful activity (SGA) limit — the amount of monthly earnings that can cause you to lose SSDI benefits — also increases each year, usually by the same COLA percentage. In 2025, the SGA limit is $1,550 per month for non-blind individuals and $2,590 for blind individuals.

The 2026 SGA limits will be announced in December 2025, along with other 2026 work incentive thresholds. If the 2026 COLA is 3%, the SGA limits will likely increase by 3% as well, though Social Security calculates the final figure separately and rounds it.

This means that if you are working or planning to work in 2026, your earnings threshold will rise slightly. The increase is modest — usually $20 to $50 per month — but it does give you a small amount of additional room to earn without triggering a work-related review.

Planning for the 2026 increase if you manage your own budget

If you live on a tight budget, a COLA increase of even 2% or 3% can matter. You may want to wait until you see the October 2025 announcement before committing to new expenses in 2026. If the COLA is higher than expected, you have more room to adjust your spending or save. If it is lower, you can plan accordingly.

If you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) in addition to SSDI, the SSI payment will also increase by the same COLA percentage. The two payments are separate, but they both adjust together.

If you are on a means-tested program like Medicaid or SNAP (food information), a COLA increase to your SSDI may affect your income limit for those programs. Some states count SSDI income differently than others. If you are close to an income threshold, contact your state Medicaid or SNAP office after the COLA is announced to confirm whether your benefits will change.

What happens if you disagree with the COLA calculation

The COLA is set by law and is not subject to individual appeal. Social Security does not make exceptions or adjust the percentage for individual circumstances. If you believe there is an error in how the COLA was applied to your specific payment, you can contact Social Security to verify the calculation, but you cannot dispute the COLA itself.

If your payment amount in January 2026 does not match what you expected based on the announced COLA, contact Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 or visit your local Social Security office. Errors in explore the COLA to individual accounts do happen and can be corrected.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I find out the 2026 COLA before October 2025?

No. Social Security calculates the COLA based on actual inflation data from July through September 2025. Economists and news outlets may publish predictions, but these are guesses. The official announcement comes on October 10, 2025.

Will the COLA increase affect my Medicaid or other benefits?

It may, depending on your state and which programs you receive. Some states count SSDI as income for Medicaid purposes; others do not. Contact your state Medicaid office or your case worker after the COLA is announced if you are concerned about income limits.

What if I am working and my earnings plus the COLA increase push me over the SGA limit?

The SGA limit also increases by the COLA, so the threshold rises at the same time your payment does. You would only lose benefits if your actual work earnings exceed the new SGA limit, not because of the COLA increase itself.

Do I need to report the COLA increase to Social Security?

No. The COLA is applied automatically to all SSDI payments. You do not need to report it, file anything, or contact Social Security unless you believe there is an error in your specific payment amount.

If I am on SSI and SSDI, do both payments increase by the same COLA?

Yes. Both programs use the same COLA percentage announced in October. Your SSI and SSDI payments will both increase by the same percentage in January 2026.