Social Security monthly payments expected to rise in 2026

• The Senior Citizens’ League predicts a 2.7 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for Social Security beneficiaries in 2026.
• This annual COLA aims to help seniors' benefits keep pace with inflation, though many beneficiaries believe it does not fully capture their actual cost increases.
• The predicted 2026 increase is slightly higher than the 2025 COLA, with the League noting that rising predictions point to risks of resurgent inflation.
• Experts anticipate inflation will rise later in the year, partly due to tariffs imposed by Donald Trump, which are expected to increase consumer prices on various goods.
• Despite White House claims that Trump’s tariffs have not harmed Americans, a Yale Budget Lab study indicates consumers face the highest average tariff rate since the Great Depression.

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Here is how much Social Security payments are expected to jump in 2026