Social Security tends to go undergo different changes from year to year. And one big change happening in 2026 is that benefits are getting a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA.
The purpose behind Social Security COLAs is to help ensure that recipient are able to maintain their buying power as inflation pushes costs higher. In 2025, Social Security benefits got a 2.5% COLA, which was the smallest to arrive in several years. So 2026's COLA is an improvement in that regard.
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If you're looking forward to seeing your Social Security benefits increase this year, you may be wondering when to expect your 2.8% COLA to hit. Here's what to know about the timing of that COLA so you can prepare accordingly.
Know your Social Security payment schedule
Your first Social Security check of the year should be 2.8% higher than it was in 2025. And the timing of that check will depend on your date of birth.
Here's when to expect your Social Security COLA to arrive:
- Jan 14, 2026 if your birthday is on the 1st-10th of the month.
- Jan 21, 2026 if your birthday is on the 11th-20th of the month.
- Jan 28, 2026 if your birthday is on the 21st-31st of the month.
Keep in mind that this schedule isn't unique to your first Social Security check of the year. Rather, this is the schedule the Social Security Administration (SSA) tends to follow for all monthly retirement benefits.
You may not get your COLA in full
When the SSA announced that benefits would be getting a 2.8% COLA in 2026, it also shared that it expected the average retirement benefit to increase from $2,015 per month to $2,071 following that raise. That means the average recipient is looking at a $56 increase.
But those numbers don't account for a rise in the cost of Medicare Part B. And if you're a Medicare enrollee, your Social Security benefits may not increase as much as expected in January.
Medicare enrollees on Social Security pay their Part B premiums directly out of their monthly benefits. In 2026, the cost of Part B is increasing by $17.90. That increase will eat into your COLA, so your raise will be smaller.
The good news is that this year's COLA may be large enough for you to still come away with a boost to your monthly checks after those higher Part B costs are accounted for. Some years, when COLAs are small and Part B increases are substantial, Social Security recipients can be left with no COLA at all.
Thankfully, there's a hold harmless provision that protects Social Security recipients from seeing their benefits decrease from one year to the next even after accounting for Medicare premium hikes. But this year, a good number of seniors may be in for disappointment when they realize how much their COLA has been eroded.
It helps to know what to expect
Whether this is your first year getting a Social Security COLA or you've been receiving benefits for quite some time, it's important to know what to expect. Now that you're aware of the timing of that 2.8% raise, you can plan around it financially.
And if you don't expect your upcoming Social Security COLA to improve your financial picture very much, you may want to take matters into your own hands. That could mean returning to work in some capacity to boost your overall retirement income and even build some savings. It could mean making strategic decisions like downsizing to shed some costs and pocket home equity, or relocating so your Social Security benefits are able to go further for you.
