Supplemental Security Income recipients receive the lowest benefit if compared to SSDI and retirement payments. Bear in mind that SSI is a supplement, and it can be combined with other Social Security benefits. Therefore, its maximum payment amounts cannot be so high. In fact, a single person on this Federal benefit can receive up to $967 in 2025, up from $943.
An eligible married couple who qualify for the full amount can receive up to $1,450, up from $1,415 in 2024. As you can see, the amount change between 2024 and 2025 is not big. This is because the Social Security Administration announced a 2.5% COLA for 2025. Thus, it was the smallest increase in the last decade. Besides, it was much lower than other recent COLAs.
Date for the 2026 COLA figure for SSI
The Social Security Administration uses the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, also known as CPI-W. The Agency uses the figures from the third quarter of the current and previous year.
It is the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the agency in charge of releasing the CPI-W every month. According to its schedule of releases of the CPI-W, it will be on October 15, 2025.
Then, Social Security will use the CPI-W for September, together with the other figures, to calculate the COLA increase for 2026. This COLA will be for RSDI and SSI benefits.
So, it will be used to increase the SSI, retirement, survivor, and Disability Insurance benefits. So far, it is not possible to know the Cost-of-Living Adjustment figure, but there is a very accurate prediction.
2026 COLA prediction for SSI and Social Security
Thanks to the Senior Citizens League, there is a monthly prediction of the 2026 COLA. The latest projection was of 2.4%, which is slightly lower than the 2025 COLA increase.
On the one hand, it may seem negative because the boost may not seem enough to make up for the loss of buying power. On the other hand, if there is no high COLA, it means prices have kept increasing but moderately.
This is how much the SSI benefit could increase with a 2.4% COLA increase in 2026:
- recipients with a benefit worth $500 in 2025: payments will be about $512.00 after a likely 2.4% COLA increase
- recipients with a benefit worth $600 in 2025: payments will be about $614.40 after a likely 2.4% COLA increase
- recipients with a benefit worth $700 in 2025: payments will be about $716.80 after a likely 2.4% COLA increase
- recipients with a benefit worth $800 in 2025: payments will be about $819.20 after a likely 2.4% COLA increase
- recipients with a benefit worth $900 in 2025: payments will be about $921.60 after a likely 2.4% COLA increase
- recipients with a benefit worth $1,000 in 2025: payments will be about $1,024.00 after a likely 2.4% COLA increase
- recipients with a benefit worth $1,100 in 2025: payments will be about $1,126.40 after a likely 2.4% COLA increase
- recipients with a benefit worth $1,200 in 2025: payments will be about $1,228.80 after a likely 2.4% COLA increase
- recipients with a benefit worth $1,300 in 2025: payments will be about $1,331.20 after a likely 2.4% COLA increase
- recipients with a benefit worth $1,400 in 2025: payments will be about $1,433.60 after a likely 2.4% COLA increase
