The Social Security Administration's (SSA) 2026 cost-of-living adjusted (COLA) announcement will be delayed by over a week amid the US government shutdown.
The SSA generally announces the yearly COLA on 15th October, coinciding with the release of the September Consumer Price Index data by the US Labor Department. This is because the COLA is based on Q3 inflation figures. The COLA raises benefits for 75 million beneficiaries to help senior, disabled Americans, and other recipients maintain their purchasing power as prices rise due to inflationary pressures.
