Tue Oct 14 21:00:00 UTC 2025: **News Article:**
**Government Shutdown Delays Social Security COLA Announcement, But Benefit Payments Unaffected**
Washington D.C. – Millions of Social Security beneficiaries will have to wait a little longer to find out the size of their 2026 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). The announcement, originally slated for October 15th, has been pushed to October 24th due to the ongoing federal government shutdown and the subsequent delay in the release of September’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) data.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) confirmed that the CPI, a key metric used to calculate the COLA, will now be released on October 24th, triggering the announcement of the 2026 COLA on the same day.
Despite the delay, the SSA assures beneficiaries that January 2026 payments will not be affected. Approximately 75 million Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients will receive their adjusted benefits on time.
Experts anticipate a COLA in the range of 2.7% to 2.8%. This would translate to an average increase of roughly $54 per month for retirees. The increase is more generous than the 2.5% COLA in 2025 and the 2.6% average COLA over the past two decades. However, it’s significantly lower than the recent peak of 8.7% in 2023 and 5.9% in 2022, which were driven by pandemic-era inflation.
It’s important to note that the final benefit increase will be affected by Medicare Part B premiums, which are typically deducted directly from Social Security checks. Projections suggest a potentially significant increase of 11.6%, or $21.50 per month, bringing the standard premium to $206.50.
CNBC will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.
First Piper 