★ MONEY · 2026 SOCIAL SECURITY COLA · REFERENCE TABLE #268
The 2026 COLA is 2.8%: a $2,000.00 monthly benefit becomes $2,056.00, up $56.00 a month. Put in your current monthly benefit, your annual earnings, and whether you are under full retirement age, and the calculator works out your new benefit, the earnings-test withholding, and what is left after withholding. Reference table #268 in the Bright Side Kit money collection: every 2026 Social Security number against its 2025 value, from the SSA 2026 fact sheet announced October 24, 2025.
The 2026 cost-of-living adjustment is 2.8%, announced October 24, 2025. Put in your current monthly benefit, your annual earnings, and whether you are under full retirement age, and the calculator works out your new benefit, the earnings-test withholding, and what is left after withholding — plus every 2026 number against its 2025 value in the table below.
On the defaults — a $2,000.00 monthly benefit, $30,000.00 of annual earnings, under full retirement age all year — the new monthly benefit is $2,056.00 (up $56.00 a month; $24,672.00 a year, up $672.00), the earnings-test withholding is $2,760.00 a year ($230.00 a month), and the benefit after withholding is $21,912.00 a year ($1,826.00 a month). The whole calculation is three moves: multiply your benefit by 1.028, work out the earnings-test withholding, and subtract it.
Five things about the model are worth stating plainly. First, the 2026 COLA is 2.8%, announced October 24, 2025 — it applies to benefits payable in December 2025, paid in January 2026. Second, the earnings test only counts earnings from work, not pensions or investment income. Third, under full retirement age all year the limit is $24,480 and $1 is withheld per $2 over; in the year you reach full retirement age the limit is $65,160 and $1 is withheld per $3 over, for the months before FRA only; at or after full retirement age there is no limit at all. Fourth, withheld money is not lost — it is credited back through a higher benefit once you reach full retirement age. And fifth, the 2.8% COLA also lifts the other 2026 numbers in the table below: the wage base to $184,500, the average benefit to $2,071, and the maximum at full retirement age to $4,152. The figures are from the SSA 2026 fact sheet.
Setup: current monthly benefit $2,000.00, annual earnings $30,000.00, under full retirement age all year.
Line 1 — multiply by 1.028. The new monthly benefit is $2,000.00 × 1.028 = $2,056.00, an increase of $56.00 a month and $672.00 a year, for a new annual benefit of $24,672.00.
Line 2 — work out the earnings-test withholding. Earnings of $30,000.00 are $5,520.00 over the $24,480.00 limit, and $1 is withheld per $2 over, so the withholding is $5,520.00 ÷ 2 = $2,760.00 a year, or $230.00 a month.
Line 3 — subtract the withholding. The benefit after withholding is $24,672.00 − $2,760.00 = $21,912.00 a year, or $2,056.00 − $230.00 = $1,826.00 a month. Rounding convention: totals are computed from unrounded values, so rounded parts may differ by a cent from their rounded sum.
Benefit $2,071 (the 2026 average): Current benefit $2,071.00/month, earnings $30,000.00, under full retirement age: new benefit $2,128.99/month (up $57.99), new annual $25,547.88 (up $695.88), withheld $2,760.00/year ($230.00/month), after withholding $22,787.88/year ($1,898.99/month) — the average retired worker’s new benefit is $2,128.99 a month, up $57.99 — the 2.8% COLA on the average benefit.
Benefit $4,152 (maximum at FRA): Current benefit $4,152.00/month, earnings $30,000.00, under full retirement age: new benefit $4,268.26/month (up $116.26), new annual $51,219.12 (up $1,395.12), withheld $2,760.00/year ($230.00/month), after withholding $48,459.12/year ($4,038.26/month) — the maximum at full retirement age becomes $4,268.26 a month, up $116.26 — the biggest monthly increase in the table.
Earnings $24,480 (exactly at the limit): Current benefit $2,000.00/month, earnings $24,480.00, under full retirement age: new benefit $2,056.00/month (up $56.00), new annual $24,672.00 (up $672.00), withheld $0.00/year ($0.00/month), after withholding $24,672.00/year ($2,056.00/month) — earn exactly the limit and nothing is withheld — the earnings test only bites on the dollars over $24,480.00.
Earnings $50,000: Current benefit $2,000.00/month, earnings $50,000.00, under full retirement age: new benefit $2,056.00/month (up $56.00), new annual $24,672.00 (up $672.00), withheld $12,760.00/year ($1,063.33/month), after withholding $11,912.00/year ($992.67/month) — $50,000.00 of earnings is $25,520.00 over the limit, so the withholding is $12,760.00 a year — more than half the new annual benefit.
FRA-year earnings $80,000: Current benefit $2,000.00/month, earnings $80,000.00, in the year you reach full retirement age: new benefit $2,056.00/month (up $56.00), new annual $24,672.00 (up $672.00), withheld $4,946.67/year ($412.22/month), after withholding $19,725.33/year ($1,643.78/month) — in the year you reach full retirement age the limit is $65,160.00 and the rate is $1 per $3 over, so $80,000.00 of earnings costs only $4,946.67 a year.
Benefit $1,000: Current benefit $1,000.00/month, earnings $30,000.00, under full retirement age: new benefit $1,028.00/month (up $28.00), new annual $12,336.00 (up $336.00), withheld $2,760.00/year ($230.00/month), after withholding $9,576.00/year ($798.00/month) — a $1,000.00 benefit becomes $1,028.00 a month — the COLA is proportional, so a smaller benefit gets a smaller dollar increase.
At/after full retirement age, earnings $200,000: Current benefit $2,000.00/month, earnings $200,000.00, at or after full retirement age: new benefit $2,056.00/month (up $56.00), new annual $24,672.00 (up $672.00), withheld $0.00/year ($0.00/month), after withholding $24,672.00/year ($2,056.00/month) — once you reach full retirement age there is no earnings limit at all — $200,000.00 of earnings costs nothing.
Old benefit for a $100.00/month COLA increase: $3,571.43 — the exact old benefit is $3571.4286. At $3,571.43 the increase is $100.00 (exact to the cent). The star is DOLLARS.
Earnings for $1,000.00/year withheld (under FRA): $26,480.00 — at $26,480.00 of earnings the withheld amount is $1,000.00 (exact); $26,479.00 gives $999.50; $26,481.00 gives $1,000.50. The star is DOLLARS.
Old benefit for a new annual benefit of $30,000: $2,432.00 — the smallest whole-dollar monthly benefit whose new annual benefit reaches $30,000. At $2,432.00 the new annual benefit is $30,001.20, over the $30,000 target, while at $2,431.00 it is $29,988.84, still under $30,000. This is a step reverse: monthly benefits come in whole dollars, so there is no exact in-between. The star is DOLLARS.
FRA-year earnings for $2,000.00/year withheld: $71,160.00 — at $71,160.00 of FRA-year earnings the withheld amount is $2,000.00 (exact); $71,159.00 gives $1,999.67; $71,161.00 gives $2,000.33. The star is DOLLARS.
Old benefit for a new monthly benefit of $3,000.00: $2,918.29 — the exact old benefit is $2918.2879. At $2,918.29 the new monthly benefit is $3,000.00 (exact to the cent); $2,918.28 gives $2,999.99; $2,918.30 gives $3,000.01. The star is DOLLARS.
Earnings at which the whole new annual benefit is withheld (under FRA): $73,824.00 — at $73,824.00 of earnings the withheld amount is $24,672.00, the full new benefit; $73,823.00 gives $24,671.50, and $73,825.00 gives $24,672.00 as well — the withholding stops at the full benefit, so the after-withholding benefit is $0.00. The star is DOLLARS.
The defaults are a current monthly benefit of $2,000.00, annual earnings of $30,000.00, under full retirement age — new benefit $2,056.00 a month, new annual $24,672.00, withheld $2,760.00 a year, after withholding $21,912.00 a year. With a $0 benefit, Current benefit $0.00/month, earnings $30,000.00, under full retirement age: new benefit $0.00/month (up $0.00), new annual $0.00 (up $0.00), withheld $0.00/year ($0.00/month), after withholding $0.00/year ($0.00/month) — 2.8% of nothing is nothing. With $0 of earnings, Current benefit $2,000.00/month, earnings $0.00, under full retirement age: new benefit $2,056.00/month (up $56.00), new annual $24,672.00 (up $672.00), withheld $0.00/year ($0.00/month), after withholding $24,672.00/year ($2,056.00/month) — no earnings, no withholding. With earnings exactly $24,480, Current benefit $2,000.00/month, earnings $24,480.00, under full retirement age: new benefit $2,056.00/month (up $56.00), new annual $24,672.00 (up $672.00), withheld $0.00/year ($0.00/month), after withholding $24,672.00/year ($2,056.00/month) — right at the limit, nothing withheld. With earnings of $24,481, Current benefit $2,000.00/month, earnings $24,481.00, under full retirement age: new benefit $2,056.00/month (up $56.00), new annual $24,672.00 (up $672.00), withheld $0.50/year ($0.04/month), after withholding $24,671.50/year ($2,055.96/month) — one dollar over costs $0.50 a year. With a $5,181 benefit (maximum at 70), Current benefit $5,181.00/month, earnings $30,000.00, under full retirement age: new benefit $5,326.07/month (up $145.07), new annual $63,912.84 (up $1,740.84), withheld $2,760.00/year ($230.00/month), after withholding $61,152.84/year ($5,096.07/month) — the new maximum at 70 is $5,326.07 a month. With FRA-year earnings exactly $65,160, Current benefit $2,000.00/month, earnings $65,160.00, in the year you reach full retirement age: new benefit $2,056.00/month (up $56.00), new annual $24,672.00 (up $672.00), withheld $0.00/year ($0.00/month), after withholding $24,672.00/year ($2,056.00/month) — right at the FRA-year limit; $65,161 gives Current benefit $2,000.00/month, earnings $65,161.00, in the year you reach full retirement age: new benefit $2,056.00/month (up $56.00), new annual $24,672.00 (up $672.00), withheld $0.33/year ($0.03/month), after withholding $24,671.67/year ($2,055.97/month) — one dollar over costs $0.33 a year. Rounding convention: totals are computed from unrounded values, so rounded parts may differ by a cent from their rounded sum.
Every 2026 Social Security number against its 2025 value, from the SSA 2026 fact sheet announced October 24, 2025. The cost-of-living adjustment is 2.8%, up from 2.5% — it applies to benefits payable in December 2025, paid in January 2026. The table is the reference: the calculator above works out your own new benefit and withholding from the same numbers.
| Number | 2025 | 2026 | What changed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) | 2.5% | 2.8% | Applies to benefits payable December 2025, paid January 2026 |
| Average retired-worker benefit | $2,015/mo | $2,071/mo | Up $56/mo |
| Maximum benefit at full retirement age | $4,018/mo | $4,152/mo | Up $134/mo |
| Maximum benefit at 62 | $2,831/mo | $2,969/mo | Up $138/mo |
| Maximum benefit at 70 (new claim) | $5,108/mo | $5,181/mo | Up $73/mo; a beneficiary already at the 2025 maximum sees up to $5,251 after the COLA — a different case |
| Taxable wage base | $176,100 | $184,500 | Up $8,400 |
| Earnings test, under full retirement age all year | $23,400 | $24,480 | Up $1,080; $1 withheld per $2 over |
| Earnings test, year you reach full retirement age | $62,160 | $65,160 | Up $3,000; $1 withheld per $3 over, months before FRA only |
| Earnings test, at/after full retirement age | No limit | No limit | No change |
| One work credit (quarter of coverage) | $1,810 | $1,890 | Up $80; four credits at $7,560; 40 credits to qualify |
| SSI federal rate, individual | $967/mo | $994/mo | Up $27/mo |
| SSI federal rate, couple | $1,450/mo | $1,491/mo | Up $41/mo |
| Medicare Part B standard premium | $185.00/mo | $202.90/mo | Up $17.90/mo |
| Medicare Part B deductible | $257 | $283 | Up $26 |
| PIA bend points (first eligible in 2026) | $1,226 / $7,391 | $1,286 / $7,749 | 90% / 32% / 15% formula |
| Full retirement age (born 1960 or later) | 67 | 67 | 2026 completes the phase-in from 65 |
| Output | Formula | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Current monthly benefit | input | $2,000.00. |
| Annual earnings | input | $30,000.00. |
| Retirement status | input | under full retirement age. |
| New monthly benefit | old benefit × 1.028 | $2,056.00. |
| Monthly increase | new monthly benefit − old benefit | $56.00. |
| New annual benefit | new monthly benefit × 12 | $24,672.00. |
| Annual increase | monthly increase × 12 | $672.00. |
| Withheld per year | under FRA: (earnings − $24,480) ÷ 2; FRA year: (earnings − $65,160) ÷ 3; at/after FRA: $0 | $2,760.00. |
| Withheld per month | withheld per year ÷ 12 | $230.00. |
| Benefit after withholding (annual) | new annual benefit − withheld | $21,912.00. |
| Benefit after withholding (monthly) | new monthly benefit − withheld per month | $1,826.00. |
| Old benefit for a $100.00/month COLA increase | exact $3571.4286 | $3,571.43 → $3,571.43. |
| $0.01 less than the R1 star | $3,571.42 | Current benefit $3,571.42/month, earnings $30,000.00, under full retirement age: new benefit $3,671.42/month (up $100.00), new annual $44,057.04 (up $1,200.00), withheld $2,760.00/year ($230.00/month), after withholding $41,297.04/year ($3,441.42/month). |
| $0.01 more than the R1 star | $3,571.44 | Current benefit $3,571.44/month, earnings $30,000.00, under full retirement age: new benefit $3,671.44/month (up $100.00), new annual $44,057.28 (up $1,200.00), withheld $2,760.00/year ($230.00/month), after withholding $41,297.28/year ($3,441.44/month). |
| Earnings for $1,000.00/year withheld (under FRA) | exact $26,480.00 | $26,480.00 → $26,480.00. |
| $1 less than the R2 star | $26,479.00 | Current benefit $2,000.00/month, earnings $26,479.00, under full retirement age: new benefit $2,056.00/month (up $56.00), new annual $24,672.00 (up $672.00), withheld $999.50/year ($83.29/month), after withholding $23,672.50/year ($1,972.71/month). |
| $1 more than the R2 star | $26,481.00 | Current benefit $2,000.00/month, earnings $26,481.00, under full retirement age: new benefit $2,056.00/month (up $56.00), new annual $24,672.00 (up $672.00), withheld $1,000.50/year ($83.38/month), after withholding $23,671.50/year ($1,972.63/month). |
| Old benefit for a new annual benefit of $30,000 | smallest whole-dollar monthly benefit with new annual ≥ $30,000 | $2,432.00 → $2,432.00. |
| $1 less than the R3 star | $2,431.00 | At $2,431.00 the new annual benefit is $29,988.84, under the $30,000 target.. |
| $1 more than the R3 star | $2,433.00 | —. |
| FRA-year earnings for $2,000.00/year withheld | exact $71,160.00 | $71,160.00 → $71,160.00. |
| $1 less than the R4 star | $71,159.00 | Current benefit $2,000.00/month, earnings $71,159.00, in the year you reach full retirement age: new benefit $2,056.00/month (up $56.00), new annual $24,672.00 (up $672.00), withheld $1,999.67/year ($166.64/month), after withholding $22,672.33/year ($1,889.36/month). |
| $1 more than the R4 star | $71,161.00 | Current benefit $2,000.00/month, earnings $71,161.00, in the year you reach full retirement age: new benefit $2,056.00/month (up $56.00), new annual $24,672.00 (up $672.00), withheld $2,000.33/year ($166.69/month), after withholding $22,671.67/year ($1,889.31/month). |
| Old benefit for a new monthly benefit of $3,000.00 | exact $2918.2879 | $2,918.29 → $2,918.29. |
| $0.01 less than the R5 star | $2,918.28 | Current benefit $2,918.28/month, earnings $30,000.00, under full retirement age: new benefit $2,999.99/month (up $81.71), new annual $35,999.88 (up $980.52), withheld $2,760.00/year ($230.00/month), after withholding $33,239.88/year ($2,769.99/month). |
| $0.01 more than the R5 star | $2,918.30 | Current benefit $2,918.30/month, earnings $30,000.00, under full retirement age: new benefit $3,000.01/month (up $81.71), new annual $36,000.12 (up $980.52), withheld $2,760.00/year ($230.00/month), after withholding $33,240.12/year ($2,770.01/month). |
| Earnings at which the whole new annual benefit is withheld (under FRA) | exact $73,824.00 | $73,824.00 → $73,824.00. |
| $1 less than the R6 star | $73,823.00 | Current benefit $2,000.00/month, earnings $73,823.00, under full retirement age: new benefit $2,056.00/month (up $56.00), new annual $24,672.00 (up $672.00), withheld $24,671.50/year ($2,055.96/month), after withholding $0.50/year ($0.04/month). |
| $1 more than the R6 star | $73,825.00 | Current benefit $2,000.00/month, earnings $73,825.00, under full retirement age: new benefit $2,056.00/month (up $56.00), new annual $24,672.00 (up $672.00), withheld $24,672.00/year ($2,056.00/month), after withholding $0.00/year ($0.00/month). |
| Benefit $2,071 (the 2026 average) | same model | Current benefit $2,071.00/month, earnings $30,000.00, under full retirement age: new benefit $2,128.99/month (up $57.99), new annual $25,547.88 (up $695.88), withheld $2,760.00/year ($230.00/month), after withholding $22,787.88/year ($1,898.99/month). |
| Benefit $4,152 (maximum at FRA) | same model | Current benefit $4,152.00/month, earnings $30,000.00, under full retirement age: new benefit $4,268.26/month (up $116.26), new annual $51,219.12 (up $1,395.12), withheld $2,760.00/year ($230.00/month), after withholding $48,459.12/year ($4,038.26/month). |
| Earnings $24,480 (exactly at the limit) | same model | Current benefit $2,000.00/month, earnings $24,480.00, under full retirement age: new benefit $2,056.00/month (up $56.00), new annual $24,672.00 (up $672.00), withheld $0.00/year ($0.00/month), after withholding $24,672.00/year ($2,056.00/month). |
| Earnings $50,000 | same model | Current benefit $2,000.00/month, earnings $50,000.00, under full retirement age: new benefit $2,056.00/month (up $56.00), new annual $24,672.00 (up $672.00), withheld $12,760.00/year ($1,063.33/month), after withholding $11,912.00/year ($992.67/month). |
| FRA-year earnings $80,000 | same model | Current benefit $2,000.00/month, earnings $80,000.00, in the year you reach full retirement age: new benefit $2,056.00/month (up $56.00), new annual $24,672.00 (up $672.00), withheld $4,946.67/year ($412.22/month), after withholding $19,725.33/year ($1,643.78/month). |
| Benefit $1,000 | same model | Current benefit $1,000.00/month, earnings $30,000.00, under full retirement age: new benefit $1,028.00/month (up $28.00), new annual $12,336.00 (up $336.00), withheld $2,760.00/year ($230.00/month), after withholding $9,576.00/year ($798.00/month). |
| At/after full retirement age, earnings $200,000 | same model | Current benefit $2,000.00/month, earnings $200,000.00, at or after full retirement age: new benefit $2,056.00/month (up $56.00), new annual $24,672.00 (up $672.00), withheld $0.00/year ($0.00/month), after withholding $24,672.00/year ($2,056.00/month). |
The math is first-principles: the new monthly benefit is the old benefit times 1.028; the new annual benefit is the rounded new monthly benefit times 12; the earnings-test withholding is the earnings over the limit divided by 2 (under full retirement age all year) or by 3 (in the year you reach full retirement age, for the months before FRA only), floored at $0 and capped at the full new annual benefit; the benefit after withholding is the new annual benefit minus the withholding. Every figure is rounded to cents half-up, and the totals are computed from unrounded values, so rounded parts may differ by a cent from their rounded sum. What the model cannot do is tell you what YOUR benefit will be: the COLA applies to your primary insurance amount and is then rounded by SSA’s own rules, so your actual new benefit may differ by a few cents from the simple multiplication; the earnings test counts only earnings from work, not pensions, investment income, or other government benefits; the FRA-year calculation counts only the months before you reach full retirement age, which this calculator does not split out; withheld money is credited back through a higher benefit once you reach FRA, which this calculator does not model; and the table’s Medicare Part B premium is the standard premium — high earners pay an income-related surcharge. The figures are the 2026 numbers from the SSA 2026 fact sheet, announced October 24, 2025. Use it to size your new benefit and withholding, then check your my Social Security statement for the exact amount.
Bright Side Kit. "2026 Social Security COLA: New Rates & Key Numbers" https://brightoolbox.com/2026-social-security-cola/ Accessed October 26, 2026.2.8%. The cost-of-living adjustment was announced October 24, 2025, and applies to benefits payable in December 2025, paid in January 2026. A $2,000.00 monthly benefit becomes $2,056.00, and the average retired-worker benefit rises from $2,015.00 to $2,071.00 a month.
Your current monthly benefit times 1.028. On $2,000.00 that is $56.00 a month, or $672.00 a year. On the 2026 average of $2,071.00 it is $57.99 a month, and on the $4,152.00 maximum at full retirement age it is $116.26 a month.
$24,480.00 a year while you are under full retirement age all year. Earn exactly $24,480.00 and nothing is withheld; $1 is withheld per $2 over the limit. In the year you reach full retirement age the limit is $65,160.00, and at or after full retirement age there is no limit at all.
No — it is credited back through a higher benefit once you reach full retirement age. The earnings test withholds benefits now and raises them later. On the defaults $30,000.00 of earnings costs $2,760.00 a year of withholding, but that money comes back as a higher benefit at FRA.
$184,500.00, up from $176,100.00 in 2025. Earnings above the wage base are not subject to Social Security tax. The wage base rises most years; the $8,400.00 jump is one of the larger ones.
$4,152.00 a month at full retirement age, $2,969.00 at 62, and $5,181.00 at 70 for a new claim. A beneficiary already at the 2025 maximum sees up to $5,251.00 after the COLA — a different case from a new claim at 70.
40 credits to qualify, and one credit costs $1,890.00 of earnings in 2026. You can earn at most four credits a year, so four credits cost $7,560.00 of earnings.
Not directly — but the Part B standard premium rises to $202.90 a month in 2026, up from $185.00. The premium is usually deducted from your benefit, so the net rise in your check is the COLA minus the premium increase.