Key Points While the 2026 COLA may help reduce the pinch of inflation, taking additional steps can save you even more. If you’re unaware of the many discounts available to seniors, you may be leaving money on the table. The first step is to comb through your monthly budget, looking for expenses you can easily do without. The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook › If you think that inflation will wipe out your entire cost-of-living adjustment for 2026, it's possible you ...

The annual cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security benefits is based on how inflation is running in the third quarter. The formula reflects monthly changes for July, August and September for the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers.Social Security benefits would increase beginning with December benefits, which are payable January 2026. Federal Supplement Security Income payments would increase for January but those payments would be made at the end of December.This year, th ...