Social Security sets 2026 cost-of-living adjustment at 2.8 percent

12 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Apr 24

Nearly 57 million retirees will see their Social Security benefits increase by 2.8% in 2026, based on third-quarter 2025 CPI-W data.
However, rising Medicare Part B premiums may offset some of the COLA increase, reducing the net benefit for many recipients.
Despite annual COLAs, Social Security benefits have lost 20% of their purchasing power since 2010, and there are no current plans to change the adjustment formula.

With Social Security's trust fund projected to run dry by 2033, what happens to benefits the day after?

Would a more generous cost-of-living adjustment for seniors actually bankrupt the Social Security system even faster?

Why does Social Security use an inflation metric that ignores the spending habits of most American seniors?

Are overpayments to private insurance plans secretly driving up Medicare premiums for millions of American retirees?

Could capping benefits for the wealthiest retirees be the key to saving Social Security for everyone else?

Can new AI technology solve the multi-billion dollar overpayment problem plaguing Medicare and Social Security?