What to know about the latest Social Security cost-of-living adjustment
The COLA for 2025 marked the smallest increase in years, and benefit recipients are not happy


Average monthly Social Security benefits payments do not always stay the same. Instead, they inch up slowly over time based on what's known as a cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA.
These adjustments are supposed to reflect the increased cost of living that occurs due to "inflation and rising prices in the economy," said Investopedia. However, "many weren't happy with" the COLA for 2025, which marked "the smallest increase in years," said The Motley Fool. And it seems like 2026 is not shaping up to be much better.
What is COLA and how is it calculated?
Put simply, a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is a "change in benefits based on changes in the prices of goods and services," said NerdWallet. These adjustments affect Social Security retirement benefits as well as Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) payments and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is responsible for calculating these adjustments and then applying them to people's benefit payments. Its COLA calculation hinges "on changes in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W)," which is a consumer price index that "tracks how the price of consumer goods and services changes over time," said NerdWallet.
To determine if a COLA is necessary and by how much, the SSA compares the CPI-W for the third quarter of the current year with the third quarter of the last year. Increases in the average CPI-W between those periods lead to an increase in benefits, while minimal or no change, or even a decrease, results in no adjustments being made.
How much did Social Security increase in 2025?
The Social Security Administration announced a COLA of 2.5% for 2025, "which translates to an average bump of $48 in monthly Social Security benefits and raises the average check for retired workers to $1,968," said CNBC Select.
The COLA was announced in October and "Social Security recipients should have been mailed an official notice about their 2025 benefits in December," said CNBC Select. The adjustment in benefits payments will be reflected in the first check received in 2025.
What is the COLA for 2026?
While COLA for 2026 will technically not be announced until October 2025, experts are still making projections. Initially, "after the BLS released the January inflation report, [nonpartisan senior advocacy group The Senior Citizens League] was estimating Social Security checks would rise by 2.3% next year," said The Motley Fool. "But with the pace of inflation slowing, the 2026 COLA forecast has slipped to 2.2%, which is below the average annual increase since 2010."
Ultimately, said Kiplinger, "Social Security beneficiaries are in something of a catch-22 situation; there is only a big COLA when inflation is high, but low inflation, which is good for fixed incomes, means a low COLA."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Becca Stanek has worked as an editor and writer in the personal finance space since 2017. She previously served as a deputy editor and later a managing editor overseeing investing and savings content at LendingTree and as an editor at the financial startup SmartAsset, where she focused on retirement- and financial-adviser-related content. Before that, Becca was a staff writer at The Week, primarily contributing to Speed Reads.
-
Sen. Booker's 25-hour speech beats Thurmond
Speed Read He spoke for the longest time in recorded Senate history, protesting the Trump administration's policies
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Bondi seeks death penalty for Luigi Mangione
Speed Read Mangione was charged with fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last year
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Democrats win costly Wisconsin court seat
Speed Read Democrats prevailed in an election for the Wisconsin Supreme Court despite Elon Musk's robust financial support of the Republican candidate
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The financial changes to expect in 'Awful April'
The Explainer As the new financial year begins, it brings changes for bills, wages and tax
By Marc Shoffman, The Week UK Published
-
How to pay off student loans
The explainer Don't just settle for the default repayment plan
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
Do student loans affect a credit score?
the explainer Repaying loans on time will strengthen your credit — but paying late will hurt it
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
Do I qualify for student loan forgiveness?
The Explainer There are a number of different pathways to qualification, though each requires strict criteria to be met
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
Should I consolidate my student loans?
the explainer Consolidate your loans and you will have just one monthly payment to keep track of — but your interest rate may increase
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
What's a student loan and how does it work?
The Explainer These loans can cover the cost of tuition, housing and textbooks — but they must eventually be repaid, plus interest
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
How to get student loan forgiveness
the explainer Four options for paying back (less of!) your federal student loans
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
ABLE accounts: how they work and who can benefit from them
the explainer These state-administered accounts are available to people with disabilities
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published