Published July 23, 2026
On October 24, 2025, the Social Security Administration announced a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2026, applying to Social Security Disability Insurance, retirement, survivors, and SSI benefits alike. The increase took effect for SSDI and retirement payments in January 2026, while the higher SSI payments began arriving December 31, 2025. SSA estimated the change would raise the average SSDI payment by about $44 a month, from roughly $1,586 to about $1,630. Nearly 71 million Social Security beneficiaries nationwide saw the adjustment, and the increase was larger than 2025's 2.5% COLA, though below the 10-year average of about 3.1%.
Medicare Part B premiums also rose for 2026, from $185 to $202.90 a month. For SSDI recipients who are enrolled in Medicare and have that premium deducted directly from their monthly benefit, the higher premium eats into a meaningful share of the COLA increase — meaning the net bump many people actually see in their deposit is smaller than the headline 2.8% suggests.
SSA bases the annual COLA on changes in a Consumer Price Index measure over a defined period each year, which is why the size of the adjustment varies from year to year — it was 2.5% in 2025 and 2.8% for 2026, both below some of the sharper increases seen earlier in the decade during periods of higher inflation.
The COLA is applied automatically — there's nothing a current beneficiary needs to file or request. If you're not yet receiving SSDI and think you may qualify, current benefit amounts, including this year's adjustment, are one factor worth understanding as you consider applying. See Atumio's SSDI page for a free eligibility review, or start your case review directly.