The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2026 is projected to be 2.7 percent, according to an Aug. 12 estimate from The Senior Citizens League (TSCL), based on the latest inflation data.
The group’s updated projection is 0.2 percentage points higher than the 2.5 percent increase implemented at the start of 2025. Last month, TSCL’s model also pointed to rising inflation risks, marking several consecutive months of upward revisions.
TSCL said it will issue its final 2026 COLA forecast in September, ahead of the government’s official announcement in October. The group noted that its model accurately projected last year’s 2.5 percent COLA and, in 2024, correctly anticipated inflation would drop below 3 percent by early in the second quarter….