By Dominic Genetti
Jacksonville Journal-Courier, Ill.
(TNS)
Oct. 15 — The U.S. Social Security Administration is delaying its annual cost-of-living announcement to Friday, Oct. 24, due in part to the ongoing government shutdown.
This announcement for the 2026 adjustment, which, according to The Hill, usually coincides with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index Report in mid-October, was supposed to be made Tuesday, but the BLS put out a notice on its website that the CPI Report would not be released until next week at 8:30 a.m. Eastern/ 7:30 a.m. Central.
“No other releases will be rescheduled or produced until the resumption of regular government services. This release allows the Social Security Administration to meet statutory deadlines necessary to ensure the accurate and timely payment of benefits,” the notice reads.
Millions of Americans are expected to be impacted by the forthcoming cost-of-living adjustment, and The Senior Citizens League projects the 2026 cost-of-living adjustment to be 2.7%.
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“That’s the same as last month’s prediction of 2.7 percent. It would raise the average monthly benefit for retired workers by $54, from $2,008 to $2,062,” The Senior Citizens League shared in a press release last month. “Over the last 20 years, the COLA has averaged 2.6 percent.”
There are about 7.5 million individuals on Social Security Income, and in the 2025 projections, the agency wrote on its website:
“The maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax (taxable maximum) will increase to $176,100. The earnings limit for workers who are younger than ‘full’ retirement age will increase to $23,400. (We deduct $1 from benefits for each $2 earned over $23,400.) The earnings limit for people reaching their ‘full’ retirement age in 2025 will increase to $62,160. (We deduct $1 from benefits for each $3 earned over $62,160 until the month the worker turns ‘full’ retirement age.)”
Photo credit: JimVallee/iStock
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© 2025 the Jacksonville Journal-Courier (Jacksonville, Ill.). Visit www.myjournalcourier.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency LLC.
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