COLA Explained: What the first Social Security 'stimulus' payment of 2026 really means for Americans
COLA Explained: What the first Social Security 'stimulus' payment of 2026 really means for Americans
Roughly 75 million Americans receive Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Every January, their benefits are adjusted using an inflation formula based on the CPI-W index. For 2026, that adjustment was set at 2.8 percent, slightly higher than last year’s 2.5 percent.
Roughly 75 million Americans receive Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Every January, their benefits are adjusted using an inflation formula based on the CPI-W index. For 2026, that adjustment was set at 2.8 percent, slightly higher than last year’s 2.5 percent.
Roughly 75 million Americans receive Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Every January, their benefits are adjusted using an inflation formula based on the CPI-W index. For 2026, that adjustment was set at 2.8 percent, slightly higher than last year’s 2.5 percent. 
