Big Social Security Changes Are Coming in January 2026

Social Security beneficiaries will see a host of changes starting in January, ranging from the good (a new tax break) to the more challenging (possible cuts to in-person customer service).

Some of the moving pieces are annual adjustments that many of the more than 70 million Americans receiving Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) will recognize. Others, though, are brand-new. Here’s what you need to know if you collect a Social Security check or anticipate claiming this year.

Monthly payments are getting a boost

Social Security payments typically get an annual bump to help retirees manage rising prices. Next year, the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will be 2.8%. That works out to an additional $56 a month for the average recipient, with the typical payment set to hit $2,071 in January, the Social Security Administration says.

The annual benefit adjustment is based on inflation data from the months of July, August and September. With inflation creeping up again, the 2026 COLA is slightly higher than what retirees received this year.

However, next year's boost still lags what some organizations say is needed to keep up with common expenses for retirees, particularly health care costs. When the COLA was announced in October, Ramsey Alwin, president and CEO of the National Council on Aging, called the amount “woefully inadequate,” particularly in light of the increases coming to Medicare costs next year.

Maximum benefits will rise by more than $1,700 a year

Alongside the COLA boost, the maximum benefit an individual can receive is also increasing. It will climb from $5,108 per month this year to $5,251 each month in 2026. That adds up to an additional $1,700 a year.

The share of retired workers who get this max benefit is relatively small, though. To qualify, in addition to waiting until age 70 to claim your benefits, you also must be a top earner throughout your career. Specifically, you need to earn at least the wage base limit in the 35 years that Social Security uses to calculate your benefit. (For 2025, this limit is $176,100. It will increase to $184,500 next year.)

In other words, you’ve paid the maximum amount possible into Social Security through payroll taxes.

Many Social Security recipients will get a tax break

A specific "no tax on Social Security" clause wasn’t included in the sprawling spending and tax bill that Congress passed over the summer. But older adults will get a new tax break next year, in a change that President Donald Trump boasted fulfilled his campaign promise to eliminate taxes on Social Security.

The temporary tax deduction is worth up to $6,000 for individuals over 65 and $12,000 for older married couples filing jointly, depending on your income. For individuals with a modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) over $75,000, the amount will be gradually reduced. You cannot claim the deduction if your MAGI is over $175,000. For couples, the deduction is reduced for MAGIs starting at $150,000 and is completely phased out at $250,000.

You can claim the new deduction regardless of whether you itemize your return or claim the standard deduction. It’s scheduled to last through 2028.

The deduction could end up lowering some older adults' tax liability enough that they don't pay any federal income tax on their benefits. But as many as half of Social Security recipients already pay no income tax, typically because their earnings are too low, according to government statistics. For the rest, the new tax break will reduce the taxes paid, rather than eliminate them entirely.

Appointments at local Social Security offices could be slashed

The Social Security Administration is aiming to cut the number of in-person visits to field offices around the country by half next year, according to an internal plan reviewed by tech news site Nextgov/FCW.

The goal is to reduce the number of visits from more than 31 million to 15 million during the 2026 fiscal year, the site reported. (The federal government's fiscal year runs from October through September.)

Field offices provide in-person support to the public for a variety of services, including applying for retirement and disability benefits. The offices will remain on the front line, Barton Mackey, a Social Security spokesperson, told the Associated Press. But technological improvements have already allowed more Americans to manage benefits online or via phone.

"The Social Security Administration under President Trump’s leadership is serving more Americans than ever before at quicker speeds, and meeting customers where they want to be served," Mackey said.

The proposed plan has drawn criticism from some members of Congress. Beneficiaries already have to wait for months to get an appointment at a field office, and further reductions in the availability of appointments are a “back-door cut in benefits by making it harder for Americans to access the Social Security benefits they need,” a group of senators wrote in a letter last week.

The earnings limit is increasing

You can work while receiving Social Security. But depending on your age and how much you earn, your wages could reduce your benefits. That said, there is a certain amount of income that is protected — the so-called earnings limit. This amount doesn’t increase every year, but regular updates are common.

In 2026, the limit will rise to $24,480, up from $23,400 this year. That means if you are under the full retirement age for your birth year, the government will reduce your benefit payment by $1 for every $2 you earn above $24,480.

If you are hitting the full retirement age in 2026, the earnings threshold is higher, and the reduction is smaller: The amount of protected income jumps to $65,160, up from about $62,160 this year. After you reach that amount, your benefits will be reduced by $1 for every $3 earned.

If you’ve hit full retirement age — 67 for folks born in 1960 or later — this doesn’t apply to you. You can earn as much as you want while claiming your full benefits.

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