It’s almost time for the announcement of the 2026 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA).

Here at NORA, we’ve already been discussing this crucial matter with our readers. At a time when the record increase in 2023 fell short despite looking great on paper, and the 2024 and 2025 adjustments were underwhelming, this topic is more pressing than ever.

So what is the outlook for next year’s Social Security COLA? Can seniors expect it to break records again? Will it provide a true improvement in retirees’ standards of living?

Could the 2026 COLA Disappoint Seniors?

As we’ve covered, there are rumors that the 2026 COLA could be as low as its predecessor.

The COLA is calculated based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). This measures the changes in prices for a basket of goods and services that the average American household buys. While some previous COLAs broke records, can we really count on a repeat?

Some factors that may affect the COLA include inflation rates, changes in the prices of goods and services, and changes in the CPI-W index. The latter point is especially interesting. As experts have pointed out, this measuring index isn’t exactly representative of late-life earners and seniors nearing retirement.

Times are tough for some seniors these days. And even for those who are well off, regular benefit adjustments are a matter of fairness. After all, we’ve all paid into this program and deserve to be paid back.

If you support fair yearly COLAs adjusted for inflation, and reimbursement for years skipped, sign our petition. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more content.