All Social Security beneficiaries will get a 2.8% boost to their checks this month.
Working seniors will be able to earn more before they lose money to the earnings test.
Disabled workers can earn more without jeopardizing their eligibility for benefits.
Many Social Security beneficiaries view their checks as a constant in their budgets. Checks for a predetermined amount arrive on a predictable schedule each month, and those funds help sustain you until the next month.
Yet Social Security itself is far from unchanging. While major reforms are rare, there are routine updates that happen each year on Jan. 1. Here are the six major changes affecting beneficiaries in 2026.
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The 2026 Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is 2.8%. This is the increase all Social Security beneficiaries, including disabled and spousal beneficiaries, will receive, beginning with their January check. This is expected to raise the average monthly benefit from $2,015 to $2,071 -- a $56 increase. Some people may get more, though.
Those on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) may have already gotten their first check with the COLA included on Dec. 31. The Social Security Administration pays the January SSI benefit out a day early because Jan. 1 is a federal holiday. These individuals will receive their first Social Security benefits of the year on Jan. 3, 2026. Everyone else will have to wait until the second, third, or fourth Wednesday of the month.
The wealthiest Social Security beneficiaries will take home $5,251 per month in 2026, up from $5,108 last year. To claim these checks, seniors would've had to earn the maximum taxable earnings in at least 35 years and then apply for benefits at age 70.
This year, 70-year-olds with maximum taxable earnings over 35 years will receive $5,181 per month. This is still an impressive total and well above the expected average benefit.
The Social Security Administration assigns everyone a full retirement age (FRA) based on their birth year. This is the age at which you qualify for your full Social Security benefit based on your work history. It was once 65, but legislation enacted in the 1980s has pushed it up over time. Those born between 1943 and 1954 reached their FRA at 66. For younger adults, FRA has risen steadily by two months per year.
As of today, FRA has taken its final step upward and now sits at 67 for all those born in 1960 or later. There are no more planned FRA increases at this time, though future legislation could change that.
You are free to claim Social Security as young as 62, regardless of your FRA. But claiming early carries a steep penalty. Those turning 62 in 2026 will get 30% less per check than they could have gotten by waiting until their FRA to apply. That said, the ceiling on benefits for 62-year-olds has risen.
The maximum benefit a 62-year-old can claim in 2026 will reach a record $2,969 per month. However, achieving this still requires making the maximum taxable earnings in at least 35 years -- and thus, paying the maximum amount in Social Security taxes. That's something only a few pull off.
The Social Security earnings test withholds money from working Social Security beneficiaries who earn more than a certain amount from their jobs while claiming benefits under their FRA. This is 67 for most workers today.
In 2026, you lose $1 for every $2 you earn over $24,480 if you're under your FRA all year. Those who will reach their FRA in 2026 will only lose $1 for every $3 they earn over $65,160, assuming they pass this limit before their birth month. These earnings test thresholds are up from $23,400 and $62,160, respectively, in 2025.
While losing Social Security benefits is never fun, the good news is that money lost to the earnings test comes back to you as a benefit increase at your FRA. In the meantime, you may need a backup plan to cover your expenses if your Social Security checks decrease.
Disabled beneficiaries risk losing their benefits if they earn more than the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) limits from their job. These are monthly income limits that vary depending on the type of disability you have.
Blind individuals had SGA limits of $2,700 in 2025, while non-blind individuals had a limit of $1,620 per month. These limits are now $2,830 and $1,690, respectively.
Not all of these rule changes may affect you, but note the ones that will and adjust your budget accordingly. If you have any questions about how your Social Security benefits will change in 2026, contact the Social Security Administration for more information.
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