Social Security retirees are getting a big benefits bump soon. The Social Security Administration recently announced a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2026. While COLAs are not a guarantee every year, they happen in most years to help ensure that benefits keep up with inflation.
In 2026, the benefits increase is going to be 2.8%. That's bigger than the 2.5% raise retirees got in 2025, but smaller than other raises during the post-pandemic era.
Since retirees and others collecting Social Security have now been informed they'll be getting more money soon, the big question is: When will the extra money actually be added to your payments, so you have more cash being deposited into your bank account?
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Here's what you need to know about when the bigger payments will actually start coming
For the millions collecting Social Security, the good news is that the bigger payments are coming very soon. The specifics of when benefits will grow vary depending on what kind of benefits you are receiving.
If you collect Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, your first larger payment will come on Dec. 31, 2025. If you are collecting other Social Security benefits, you will see the benefits increase take effect with the payment that you receive in January 2026. These dates come from the Social Security Administration, which published an update on its website.
The exact date when Social Security recipients will collect their January checks also varies based on date of birth. Specifically:
- If you were born between the 1st and 10th of the month, you'll get your first larger check on the second Wednesday of the month (Jan. 14, 2026).
- If you were born on the 11th through the 20th, you'll get your first larger check on the third Wednesday (Jan. 21, 2026).
- If you were born on the 21st through 31st, you'll get your first increased payment on the fourth Wednesday (Jan. 28, 2026).
Retirees will need to watch their bank accounts on these dates to see that their larger payments have come in, while SSI recipients can expect their extra benefits to start just before the new year.
When will you be notified of your COLA?
In the weeks leading up to the time when your benefits increase, you will also receive notice of your Social Security COLA in the mail.
The Social Security Administration has said that COLA notices will be sent out throughout the month of December. The agency also stated that while some people will receive notifications in the mail before others do, you don't need to contact the SSA if your notification does not come right away. In fact, the SSA asked people to wait until January before reaching out about a missing notification.
The SSA also said that you can find out how much bigger your payment will be by signing into your My Social Security account starting in early December. So, you don't actually have to wait for the mailed form if you want to find out the details about how your benefit is changing.
It's also worth remembering that your Medicare premiums are typically subtracted from your Social Security checks if you have Medicare coverage, and Medicare Part B premiums are expected to increase substantially next year. This means that you can't expect your Social Security benefits deposits to increase by the full 2.8% of the coming COLA.
As you make your retirement plans for the upcoming year, pay attention to how large the raise is, when it is coming, and the extra amount you'll see. This will allow you to make informed choices about how to plan withdrawals from your 401(k) and other accounts, so you'll have the money coming in that you need to fund your lifestyle in the upcoming year.
