Social Security COLA 2026 update: Here’s when it will be announced

Social Security recipients will now know when they will receive their cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, for the next year.

Initially, the date for the 2026 COLA announcement was supposed to be Oct. 15.

But due to the ongoing government shutdown, that date has been pushed out to Oct. 24, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Here’s what you need to know about why the COLA is being delayed this year, as well as the most up-to-date Social Security COLA 2026 prediction.

Why is the Social Security 2026 COLA being delayed this year?

All but one of the bureau’s 2,055 employees are furloughed, causing delays on reports such as this one, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics contingency plan for a government shutdown.

However, officials said some would be brought back temporarily.

“No other releases will be rescheduled or produced until the resumption of regular government services. This release allows the Social Security Administration to meet statutory deadlines necessary to ensure the accurate and timely payment of benefits,” the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics told USA Today.

The last time the COLA was delayed was in October 2013, and it also happened to be during a government shutdown, according to USA Today.

What is the most up-to-date Social Security COLA prediction for 2026?

The most up-to-date Social Security COLA prediction for 2026 remains at 2.7%, according to the nonpartisan Senior Citizens League.

If this prediction is correct, the average monthly benefit for retired workers would increase by $54 from $2,008 to $2.062.

The 2.7% estimate would be higher than last year’s COLA of 2.5% but lower than 2024’s COLA of 3.2%.

As of August 2025, 74.5 million people receive Social Security, according to the most recent data available from the Social Security Administration.