Social Security COLA 2026 Announcement Delayed by Government Shutdown

As of October 5, 2025, a government shutdown that began on October 1 has cast uncertainty over the upcoming announcement of the 2026 Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA). The COLA, which typically provides a vital boost to benefits for millions of recipients, is based on precise economic data that may be delayed due to the shutdown.

The COLA is calculated using the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), which measures changes in the prices of goods and services over the past year. With government offices affected by the shutdown, there are concerns that the final CPI-W data for September, a crucial component of the COLA calculation, may not be available on time. This could potentially postpone the official COLA announcement, which is usually made in October.

However, the underlying process for determining the COLA remains intact. Once the necessary data is collected and finalized, the adjustment will be calculated and applied to benefits starting in January 2026 as planned. Importantly, the shutdown will not impact the actual monthly benefit payments, which are considered mandatory spending and will continue uninterrupted.

While a delay in the COLA announcement may cause some anxiety for recipients, it does not signify any reduction in benefits. The COLA is a formulaic adjustment based on past inflation, so the proper increase will be automatically applied once the data is available. Recipients can continue to manage their monthly expenses with confidence, even if the announcement is temporarily delayed.