A Comparison Between Social Security’s 2025 and 2026 COLA
What You Need to Know
When you depend on Social Security benefits, understanding the annual COLA (Cost-of-Living Adjustment) is vital. It helps protect the purchasing power of retirees, disabled Americans, and others relying on benefits when inflation rises. In this post, we compare the 2025 COLA vs projected 2026 COLA, explain how they’re calculated, and what differences you should watch out for.
guess I have to save for another year to get my private jet (LOL)
Our government should be ashamed of the minute increase they are ‘giving’ us with our money. They never blink to give billions to a country that would p– on us if we were on fire.
2.7% in today’s economy won’t substantially feed a retired couple for a day or two, especially after they take the raise out faster than they put it in to pay Medicare. The saddest part is that too many are getting Medicare who never put in a penny and are receiving maximum benefits.
Thank you for speaking up on this. When they do the COLA every year they might as well not even tell us the lousy 2.7 or 2.8 will be going to Medicare and heaven forbid we have a house note, car payment, utilities, supplemental insurance another 200 out of your check for expenses that Medicare will not pay for.
Sometime I wonder if they just us to go away and just die.
2.7% IS A DISGRACE. We all paid into SS and it is not an entitlement. We have been systematically robbed every year by inflation, illegal handouts and lies about SS and everything else. Inflation under Biden is through the roof! We need 10% raise or even more! But they would rather give our hard earned money to other countries for wars they will not stop or illegals who do not deserve a penny. Stay home!!
Damn right it should be given to the families that work their asses off to get where they are not free handouts im 69 worked all my life and all I get is 597.00 a month which is BS
This is a disgrace, abused, a joke, and a shame that we get insulted with this 2.7%…..when they are getting interest from the money they had collected when we were working. The minimum we should get is 5% for our Seniors of all the money we gave you through our whole life. Trump love to give money to countries like Argentina…that is our taxes. You fool.
“Thanks-TRUE”
Geee, I wonder which side of the isle your on. If money is printed and given to masses inflation really quick 1-2 yrs follows. You print money send it overseas then inflation slowly bleeds back to printing country. Pick your poison.
I am tired of hearing people complain about the way things are. You get what you voted for! If you don’t like what is happening than stop complaining and vote the people out of office who have so little regard for the welfare of senior citizens. Don’t say this not about politics because it is and the day many of us realize it the sooner, we will see the changes you would like to see.
Today is Tues. 4 Nov, VOTE for change!
Completely agree with you, Bob. I find it difficult to comprehend how some individuals can remain unaware and uninformed despite the current circumstances we face, while still justifying the situation in our country. Remember, the decisions you make will impact your life. Instead of complaining and expressing dissatisfaction, take action.
Definitely a shameful amount for those of us who are struggling to keep up with inflation. Also shameful is the fact that we are paying so much in taxes to aid and abet the millions of illegal aliens who suck the air out of us with free medical, schooling etc…
I Started paying in 1974 and it’s pitiful what I am receiving in 2025.
COLA was even less than we getting now under the other party
its less because inflation is less dont think other party did you a favor that 9.1 %inflation wr had doesnt go away it gets piled on thank god its only 2.7 -3% now but over the 2 years is like 13%so dont blame current administration which at least is giving tax break on ss
True the last administration had 4 years to give out big raises and all they did is take our hard earned money and spent it on illegals and other countries (Zelenskyy) there favorite kickback man
you can thank the illegals who got plenty, maybe it would of made ours higher, but they took plenty and want more for nothing put in
Completely agree with you, Bob. I find it difficult to comprehend how some individuals can remain unaware and uninformed despite the current circumstances we face, while still justifying the situation in our country. Remember, the decisions you make will impact your life. Instead of complaining and expressing dissatisfaction, take action.
We are no longer living in a democracy. We are living in a plutocracy where the rich corporations own the executive, legislative and judicial system. They pay little to no taxes and send you on a wild goose chase about illegals taking your money. Corporations are people thanks to the supreme court rulings, and corporations are rich people thanks to the citizens united ruling. One person with a million dollars can be more powerful than a million people with one dollar! I would say wake up but it’s too late now!!
VOTE REPUBLICAN FOOL
The Democrats give to others in this country then the seniors who gave so much in taxes for such low return in their benefits.
They will never learn. They all want to be taken care of an given free junk stuff. Free food suckers their poisoned the junk food. Why’s it taken a year to get the poison colors out?
They give us a measly raise and then, of course, Medicare goes up and there goes our raise
I agree with most of the comments even if partially. I’ve been working since 1965 when I was 16. I get less than some and not much more than some. I don’t know why. I am 100% disabled so will never be of any real use to most companies. My mother lived to be 100. She started working when she was 15 until she was about 75 or maybe older and didn’t get any more than I did. And she was a licensed nurse. No one can explain any of this to anyone and have us agree with them.
I think that a disabled widow and widower starting at age 50 deserves to draw 100% of their spouse retirement benefits,( that law needs to change) because of there disability and not able to work. and I think it should be more Than just $50 A raise that you’re giving out this year .And that somehow 50$ will be taking back out because of healthcare, it takes income at least over $3000 a month to make it .with rent being high ,food and gas being high ,it’s nearly impossible for someone that is making less than that $1000 or 2000 a month .we just can’t make it . It’s hard enough that we lost our spouse and even harder to make it on a low income ,so please ,I’d like for you all to consider raising Pay to are widows and widowers of a income to 3000 a month .so we won’t be forced out of our homes and into low income homes were violence are always happening ..i’d like for you to please considered this ,so that we can live in our stable neighborhoods , and also going to write a letter to our congressman about this situation .thank you so very much.
I think widows and widowers that are disabled at age 50 deserves to draw 100% of Survivor income ,I think people should make at least $3000 a month . Instead of the low income that we are making now , with that much it will reset are Economy and people can afford their healthcare, if it was raise that much a month ,with additional money added on each year because of cost of living. it is nearly impossible for someone that is making less than $2000 a month. I’d really would appreciate it and I’m sure other widows and widowers would too .So I like for social Security department to consider raising the pay for the widows and widowers to 100% of the surviving spouse benefits. Thank you so much
Why is my Social Security benefits less in 2026 than it was in 2025???
Oh what will i do with my $26 dollar a month raise?
we get an increase for cost of living but they increase the cost for medicare Whoopie!
wow we get an increase but it is counter productive since they increased the cost of medicare Whoopie!
agree
How can I survive on my Social Security? I receive the same amount of my mortgage payment.
My mortgage is $2500 per month.
BIG DEAL! We get a measly raise but they raise the Medicare payment. Also, the insurances have gone crazy with changing deductibles, co-pays, etc. How can anyone survive all these increases and still put food on the table and pay bills? People come into this country illegally and get everything we should be getting. Only we worked for it!
I agree with you. I think that Congress should have the same Social Security that we have as well as the insurance that we do.
Carmela: You are completly wrong when you say people from other countries come into the US and get everything. First, if a person get into any Federal Government for help you are fully identified and can not probe Residence o Naturalized Status you can get nothing. Just like that. Who will risk to get deported for asking for assistance? Of course, there are Agencies that may be more relax regarding documentation, but is not the majority.
thanks for the raise
I really don’t know how you call this a cost of living when we are going to be in the same place every time we get a raise the Medicare goes up ! so how are we getting ahead ridiculous! Medicare is highway robbery!!!!!
The retirees need a significant increase in cola where we can truly live out our sunset years without the stress of trying to pay for groceries medicine and doctor’s appointments, etc.
This tiny cola increase doesn’t even help at all with rising prescription costs, food prices, oil prices, insurance prices. As a senior with a small ss benefit it’s not even sustainable. It’s time to start helping us elderly folks and veterans instead of other countries that hate us. We need a new Congress that does it’s job instead of all the in house fighting and hate they spew. They can’t even pass a budget. It’s time for taking care of our own citizens and we need a fair government with American needs first.
Sorry getting a little off track here but it’s time to help us and make our retirement more affordable. When one of my medications costs 400.00 with my insurance deductible I have to say no to getting it because I can’t afford it or I have to take only half the of the prescribed dosage to make it last 2 months instead of one.
Your fucking us to death. Guess what’s coming next???????? 10 of the States our Communists. Nationals the vote. Voter ID on paper. End the socialist state’s Support of illegal Aliens. End all sanctuary city an states. Tax’s no more. Max tax 8% an if you can’t do that back to 2%. Term limits. The Second Amendment Rules the rest. Business is your example stop giving away. An learn how to learn and save like we have to do. Not a happy camper.
Yeah I’m on subsidized housing…my rents going from 611 to 662….my healthy benefits are going from 125.a month to 100. A month…my foodstamps went from 293 to 280…. how is cola calculated??????? Idiots
That Damn Government Never Ever Help’s The Low Income !!! It Is All About The Damn Rich !!! Well Let Me Tell You This GOD Is Watching All The Mean And Evil Thing’s You Do To Us Poor ,So You Will Pay In The End !!!! COST Of Living Never Goes Up Enough To Keep Up With The Rising Price’s Of Everything !!! Pretty Soon We Will Be Living On The Street’s And ,Food Assistance Is A Laugh !!!! Our SNAP Went Down From 320 To 290 !!! Go Figure That Out That Is Almost Enough For A Week And A Half ,Beside’s Feeding Ourselve’s We Also HAve To Buy Sugar,Flour,Egg’s Yeast And All Other Baking Item’s To Help Us By !!! We Have Alot Of Neccesities Beside Just Meal’s Which Are Outrageous And Our Stove Took A Dump A Month Ago And Our Fridge Freeze’s Everything In Sight !!! Sure Can’t Afford New Applance’s Too !!!! And Why Should We Have To Pay To Die !!!! Can Not Afford Life Insurance Either !!!! Government Is So Crooked !!!!
There’s also the fact that the insurance companies change the benefits or setting of the insurance coverages! Like, how much you can get cash backing your check! Or how much your premiums have gone up and how much the insurance companies have reduced your kick backorder benefit for using that insurance company! Plus the endless phone calls which are now year round!! This passed year my insurance company decreased my benefits and I lost $75 dollars which cost my more out of my check and I was not told ahead of time, plus Humana started taking out the premiums for 2026 that end of November of 2025 then again at the end of December 2025 to start my coverage in January 2026!! That’s 2 months before the new COLA starts!!
I have the same issues.
I dread the COLA. Every year without fail, it does not matter the size of the COLA, I lose. A few months before the COLA taka effect my insurance premium goes up. Often deductibles go up after the 1st of the year. The COLA is aways without exception lower than my increased insurance cost. Then the actual cost of living has to be figured out with less and less money each year.