The Social Security Administration will update the Cost-of-Living-Adjustment for 2026 soon, so SSI recipients can expect an increase in their payout. If you are an SSI recipient and wondering how much your SSI payout will increase, you can check the full details here.
SSI Increase 2026 Update
The Supplemental Security Income supports the elderly and people with disabilities who don’t have enough income or resources to manage their living. Around 7 million Americans receive Social Security benefits and eagerly wait for the annual boost.
The administration annually adjusts the Social Security benefits payments through COLA. The administration calculates the COLA based on the CPI-W index to ensure the payout is enough for recipients. The COLA adjustment never decreases the payment; it will only increase or keep the payment the same.
The SSI payment will also be adjusted with the COLA. The announcement is yet to be made; however, experts have started the speculation. The Senior Citizens League predicts that COLA 2026 can be 2.7% based on the CPI-W of the past quarters.
How much will your SSI payment be after the COLA 2026?
The Supplemental Security Income under the 2025 COLA adjustment was increased by 2.5% and the payout is $967 for individuals and $1450 for couples. With the COLA 2026 adjustment speculation of a 2.7% increase, you can expect an increase of $54 in your payments.
The SSA will announce the COLA 2026 adjustment by mid-October 2025, as the September 2025 CPI-W has yet to be announced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. If the increase happens as predicted, you can expect your SSI payout to be increased to the following amount:
| Situation | SSI payout 2026 (Expected) |
| Individual | $110 |
| Couples | $1500 |
Remember, this is the speculation of maximum payment; your SSI payout depends on multiple factors. You will receive the increased amount from the January 2026 payment cycle based on the 2026 COLA.
What can affect your SSI payments?
The SSI payout depends on the family income, your income, your living situation, and others; hence, the payment may vary from one person to another. Let’s explore how your SSI payout can be affected:
- Your or your family’s income: If your earned income is over the limit of the SSI income threshold, your payout will be reduced. Every $2 earned above the limit will reduce your payout by $1.
- Non-work income: If you earned above the limit through non-work resources, your payment will be reduced. For every $1 earned above the limit, you will lose $1 from your calculated SSI payment.
- Living Situation: If you live with someone else, and their home, and you do not pay for your stay or food, you will receive the SSI payment up to $342.33 only.
The income’s effect on your payment depends on the countable income, which you can calculate based on the SSI rules, as it also has some exceptions, such as the first $20, and income tax refunds are exempted.
What are the other benefits you can receive along with SSI?
As per the COLA 2026 prediction, recipients will surely experience an increase in their benefits payments. However, the SSI recipients can take advantage of other benefits as well and get the support to make things easy for them, such as:
- State Supplement:
- Many US states offer a state supplement to the SSI beneficiaries to provide additional support that would help with food and shelter.
- The state supplement does not affect your SSI payout; hence, you can check with your state if it issues any such state supplement.
- SNAP:
- The SNAP food assistance can also help the SSI recipients in getting more support for food and access to a healthy diet.
- You can check on your state SNAP websites if you have never enrolled for this benefit and apply to receive the monthly benefit.
- Medicaid:
- If you receive the SSI, you will automatically become eligible for the Medicaid benefit in many states.
- Medicaid will provide your health insurance, providing financial aid in a health emergency.
The SSI benefit payment will increase from 2026 if the COLA 2026 increases the payment. The COLA 2026 will be announced in the next ten or eleven days, so keep an eye on SSA channels to estimate your payout increase for all benefits.
Disclaimer: The SSI increase update for 2026 is for informational purposes only. Actual payout amounts are determined by the SSA.
