Summary
Social Security payments for January 2026 will include a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) of 2.8 percent. Payments will be staggered throughout the month based on when recipients were born, with some payments, like SSI, arriving earlier due to holidays.
Key Facts
- About 70 million Americans get Social Security benefits each month.
- The Social Security Administration (SSA) will stagger January 2026 payments across the month.
- A 2.8 percent COLA increase will apply, benefiting most recipients.
- SSI payments for January 2026 will be sent on December 31, 2025, because of the New Year's Day holiday.
- The average retiree will receive about $56 more per month because of the COLA.
- Payments are divided by birthdate, with different dates for SSI and certain recipients.
