Each year since 1975, all benefits disbursed by the Social Security Administration (SSA) are adjusted to account for year over year inflation. This is called the Cost of Living Adjustment, or COLA. The announcement for the 2026 COLA increase was made a couple of days ago on Friday, October 24th. The announcement revealed a 2.8% increase for all benefits in 2026. The 2025 COLA brought beneficiaries a 2.5% increase, with both the 2025 and 2026 COLAs reading as average from a historical standpoint.
Due to a small quirk on the SSA’s payment schedule, a certain cohort of recipients will be receiving their increased benefit amount in 2025. Here is what you need to know.
SSI recipients will receive their COLA increase by December
Alongside the regular Social Security benefit, the SSA also rolls out checks for the Supplemental Security Income, or SSI benefit. The SSI benefit is a type of welfare benefit that is paid to individuals who are either blind, or aged 65 and older who have little to no other source of income or resources. The SSI benefit is typically paid on the first of each month, however, if the first falls on a weekend or holiday, then SSA will issue that month’s SSI benefit earlier.
If the first of the month falls on a weekend or federal holiday, the SSA will issue the SSI benefit on the last working day of the previous month, and this will be the case with the January SSI. Since January 1st is a holiday, the SSI for January 2026 will be paid to beneficiaries on December 31st, 2025. Technically speaking, this means that SSI recipients will already be receiving their COLA increase in 2025. It is, however, important to note that the December 31st SSI payment is the SSI benefit intended for the month of January.
Regarding the “double” SSI payments in some months, the SSA has stated the following: “We do this to avoid putting you at a financial disadvantage and make sure that you don’t have to wait beyond the first of the month to get your payment. It does not mean that you are receiving a duplicate payment in the previous month, so you do not need to contact us to report the second payment.”
How much will SSI benefits increase by?
Following delays with the official announcement as a result of the currently ongoing federal government shutdown, the COLA announcement was finally made on October 24th after being pushed back from October 15th. The announcement revealed a 2.8% increase for all benefits issued by the SSA, and this includes the SSI benefit as well.
According to the SSA, “the monthly maximum Federal amounts for 2026 are $994 for an eligible individual, $1,491 for an eligible individual with an eligible spouse, and $498 for an essential person.“
As such, an eligible individual who received an annual total of $11,604.53 in 2025, will now receive $11,929.46 in 2026 once the 2.8% COLA increase comes into effect. An eligible couple’s annual total will increase from $17,404.87 in 2025 to $17,892.17 in 2026. Lastly, an essential person’s annual total will increase from $5,815.57 in 2025 to $5,978.41 in 2026.
“In general, monthly amounts for the next year are determined by increasing the unrounded annual amounts for the current year by the COLA effective for January of the next year. The new unrounded amounts are then each divided by 12 and the resulting amounts are rounded down to the next lower multiple of $1,” the SSA explains.
“Social Security is a promise kept, and the annual cost-of-living adjustment is one way we are working to make sure benefits reflect today’s economic realities and continue to provide a foundation of security,” said Social Security Administration Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano in the October 24th COLA announcement. “The cost-of-living adjustment is a vital part of how Social Security delivers on its mission.”