If your monthly Social Security check is $1,800, you probably already know how fast that money can disappear. Groceries, utility bills and medical costs have a way of adding up faster than you expect. So when the government announces a raise (though it is officially called a cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA), most people get way too excited and for good reason.
The good news is that Social Security has announced that its benefits are going up in 2026. But the number you think you’re getting and the number that actually lands in your account may not be the same. Let’s break down what we mean by that, shall we?
For 2026, Social Security recipients will receive a 2.8% COLA, based on inflation data from the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). That percentage is automatically applied to all beneficiaries.
So, on a $1,800 monthly benefit, a 2.8% increase works out to $50.40 more per month. That pushes your gross benefit to $1,850.40. You’ll first see that increase in the January 2026 payment, which also reflects your December 2025 benefit.
BREAKING: Social Security benefits to rise 2.8% for recipients in 2026 pic.twitter.com/VfqvVjuGcL
— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 24, 2025
RELATED: December Social Security Payments — Who Gets Paid Next and How Much to Expect
On paper, that sounds solid, but the reality is messier.
The reason is simple. At $1,800 a month, your annual Social Security income is $21,600. But after the COLA, the new amount will be $1,850.40, which will add up to $22,204.80 for the year. That’s an increase of about $604.80 before deductions.
Now, we might mentally budget around this exact number, but it’s not the one that matters. For context, the average retired worker benefit is lower than many of us assume. In 2025, it’s about $2,015 per month, after the 2.8% COLA, which rises to $2,071, or about $56 more per month and annually around $672. That means increase is very much in line with what most retirees will see.
This brings us to the fact that most retirees have their Medicare Part B premiums deducted from their Social Security checks. And in 2026, the standard Part B premium is jumping from $185 to $202.90 per month. So, then, for someone with a $1,800 benefit, that Medicare hike eats up roughly a third of the COLA increase! After the Part B deduction, your net deposit would be about $1,647.50, so your take-home increase is closer to $32.90 per month, not $50.40.
I just got my 2026 healthcare premium in the mail.
It’s going up 46%. ($746 to $1069)
Thanks Donald Trump and House Republicans! This is what Democrats warned you about. The government is shutdown because Republicans wanted this! pic.twitter.com/34XCBSYmCO
— Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) October 28, 2025
A higher benefit can push some retirees closer to Social Security taxation thresholds as well. Depending on your combined income, up to 50% or even 85% of your benefits can be taxable. But are you collecting Social Security before full retirement age while still working? In 2026, earning more than $24,480 could reduce your checks, even with COLA.
So it is best to know how much you will actually receive by logging into your “my Social Security” account. Your COLA notice will now show your new gross benefit, Medicare deductions and tax withholding. Plus the final amount deposited each month.
If anything looks off, contact the SSA.
