On October 24, 2025, the Social Security Administration announced a 2.8% benefit increase for 2026. This cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is a little bigger than last year’s COLA which saw a benefit increase of 2.5%. Over the last decade, the COLA increase has averaged about 3.1% per year.
Beginning in January of 2026, approximately 71 million Social Security beneficiaries will see an increase in benefits. For the approximately 7.5 million SSI beneficiaries, the cost-of-living adjustment will begin on December 31, 2025.
The average Social Security benefit will increase by $56. For SSI recipients, the federal maximum will increase from $967 to $994 a month for individuals and from $1,450 to $1,491 for couples.
The threshold for substantial gainful activity (SGA) will also increase in 2026. In order to be eligible for disability benefits, a person must be unable to engage in substantial gainful activity. A person who is earning more than a certain monthly amount is ordinarily considered to be engaging in SGA. The threshold for SGA will increase from $1,620 a month for the non-blind and $2,700 for the blind to $1,690 for the non-blind and $2,830 for the blind.
To learn more about Social Security disability and SSI benefits, contact an experienced Social Security disability attorney at Gardberg & Kemmerly, P.C. today at 251-343-1111 for a free case evaluation. Gardberg & Kemmerly, P.C. represents Social Security disability claimants in Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, and Louisiana at all levels of the disability process from initial application to appeals to Federal Court.