Social Security will raise SSDI payments in January 2026 by a percentage set by the annual cost of living adjustment, or COLA

Every January, Social Security announces a COLA — a percentage increase applied to all SSDI payments to account for inflation. The 2026 COLA will be announced in October 2025 and will take effect when payments arrive in January 2026. Your new payment amount will be calculated automatically; you do not need to do anything to receive it.

The COLA percentage changes each year based on how much prices rose for everyday goods and services in the previous months. Some years the increase is large, some years it is small, and in rare years there is no increase at all. Whatever the percentage is, it applies to every SSDI beneficiary at the same time.

If you receive SSDI, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or both, the same COLA applies to all three programs. Family members who receive benefits based on your work record also receive the same percentage increase.

Key Takeaways

  • The 2026 COLA percentage will be announced by Social Security in October 2025 and becomes effective in January 2026.
  • Your payment will increase automatically — Social Security calculates and applies the new amount without you submitting anything.
  • The COLA percentage is the same for all beneficiaries and is based on inflation data from the previous year.
  • If you receive both SSDI and SSI, both payments increase by the same percentage.
  • You will see your new payment amount in your January 2026 payment or in a notice Social Security sends before then.

When you will see the 2026 increase

Social Security releases the COLA announcement in mid-October each year. The 2026 COLA will be announced on October 16, 2025. At that time, Social Security will publish the exact percentage and explain how it was calculated.

Your payment with the new amount will arrive in January 2026. If you receive payments by direct deposit, the increased amount will appear in your bank account on your regular payment date. If you receive a check, it will reflect the new amount.

Social Security typically sends a notice before the increase takes effect, showing your old payment amount and your new payment amount. You can also check your payment amount anytime by logging into your my Social Security account online or by calling Social Security at 1-800-772-1213.

How the COLA is calculated

The COLA is based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), a measure of inflation published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Social Security compares the average CPI-W for July, August, and September of the current year to the same three months from the previous year.

If prices have gone up, the percentage increase becomes the COLA. If prices have stayed the same or gone down, the COLA is zero and no increase occurs. This has happened only three times since COLA began in 1975: in 2010, 2011, and 2016.

The COLA affects not only SSDI and SSI but also retirement benefits, survivor benefits, and Medicare premiums. It is the same percentage across all programs.

What happens to your other benefits when SSDI increases

If you receive both SSDI and SSI, both payments increase by the same COLA percentage. However, SSI has a monthly limit on how much you can receive. If your SSDI increase pushes your total income above that limit, your SSI payment may decrease or stop. Social Security handles this adjustment automatically.

If you receive SSDI and also work, the increase does not change how your work affects your benefits. The earnings rules remain the same. If you are in a trial work period or receiving expedited reinstatement, the COLA increase applies to your SSDI payment but does not change the rules for those programs.

If you receive benefits as a family member based on someone else's work record, your payment increases by the same percentage as the primary beneficiary's payment. This applies to spouses, ex-spouses, children, and parents receiving family benefits.

Reasons the 2026 COLA might be different from 2025

The COLA changes year to year because inflation is not constant. If prices rise faster in 2025 than they did in 2024, the 2026 COLA will be larger than the 2025 COLA. If prices rise more slowly, the 2026 COLA will be smaller.

Major events — supply chain disruptions, energy price spikes, changes in employment — can all affect inflation and therefore the COLA. Economic forecasters make predictions, but the actual COLA is not known until Social Security calculates it in October based on real inflation data.

You can track inflation trends throughout the year by following reports from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, but the official COLA calculation happens only once per year and is final when announced.

Planning for the 2026 increase

If you budget based on your SSDI payment, you can expect an increase in January 2026, though you will not know the exact amount until October 2025. Some people use the increase to cover higher costs from inflation; others save it or use it to pay down debt.

If you receive SSI along with SSDI, keep in mind that your SSI payment may change differently than your SSDI payment if the combined total affects your SSI limit. Review your notice carefully when it arrives to understand both payments.

If you are working and your earnings are close to the limit that affects your benefits, the COLA increase to your SSDI payment means your total income will rise, which could affect how much you can earn without losing benefits. Check the current earnings limits on the Social Security website or call 1-800-772-1213 to understand how the increase affects your specific situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to do anything to get the 2026 COLA increase?

No. Social Security calculates and applies the increase automatically to your account. You will receive the new payment amount in January 2026 without submitting any forms or making any requests.

When will I know what the 2026 COLA percentage is?

Social Security announces the COLA in mid-October each year. The 2026 COLA will be announced on October 16, 2025. You can find the announcement on the Social Security website or by calling 1-800-772-1213.

Will the 2026 COLA be the same as the 2025 COLA?

No. The COLA changes each year based on inflation. The 2026 COLA will be announced in October 2025 and may be higher, lower, or the same as 2025, depending on how much prices rose during the measurement period.

What if I receive SSI and SSDI — do both payments increase?

Yes, both payments increase by the same COLA percentage. However, SSI has a monthly income limit. If the increase pushes your total income above that limit, your SSI payment may decrease or stop. Social Security adjusts this automatically and will send you a notice explaining the change.

How does the COLA increase affect my earnings limit if I work?

The COLA does not change the earnings rules for SSDI. Your earnings limit stays the same. However, because your SSDI payment increases, your total monthly income rises, which may affect how much you can earn without losing benefits. Contact Social Security to review your specific earnings limit.