The Social Security benefits payment will increase with a Cost-of-Living Adjustment for 2026. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) recipients can also expect a rise with COLA 2026. If you are a SSDI recipient, you can learn about the increase, expected payment in 2026, and other details here.
The Social Security Administration annually adjusts the benefit based on the COLA, which depends on the CPI-W of the third quarter. As of now, the SSA has not announced the COLA for 2026 because the CPI-W for September 2025 has not yet been published.
The SSDI benefit supports people with disabilities who can’t work due to their conditions. The SSDI payment depends on lifetime average earnings, hence it may vary from one person to another.
What is the SSDI Increase in 2026 prediction?
The COLA 2026 prediction has been going on for a long time, based on the CPI-W of August and July 2025 and the 2024 third quarter CPI-W. The cost of living in the US is higher in August and July 2025 is higher than in the previous year. The experts believe we can see the COLA 2026 increase the benefit payments by the rate of 2.7% or 2.8%.
The Senior Citizens League has predicted the COLA 2026 using the CPI-W data, which is higher than the 2025 adjustment. This is great news for the recipients who received the Social Security benefits, as it can increase their payout by $50.
The highest increase in the Social Security payout was seen in 2023 in the last 10 years, whereas the average COLA in the last 20 years was 2.6%. The SSDI and SSI payments will also increase with the COLA adjustment.
How much will your SSDI payout in 2026?
The SSDI payout depends on your average earnings history before your disability began. The SSDI payout is not fixed for everybody; however, based on the reports, the average payout for the SSDI recipients is around $1537 in the current year.
The SSDI benefit payment can go up to $4000, but it’s rare as it requires a long history of earnings. So, if the COLA 2026 is 2.7% or 2.8%, you can expect your SSDI payment to be boosted to the following rate from January 2026:
- Average Payment: $1540 to $1600
- Maximum Payment: $4000 to $4500.
The SSDI recipients also received the Medicare coverage for 2 years or have end-stage renal disease.
When will the SSA announce the 2026 COLA increase?
The SSA delayed the 2026 COLA announcement because CPI-W data for September have not been published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The delay in the CPI-W release for September 2025 was due to the federal shutdown.
But now the BLS has confirmed that they will announce the CPI-W data for September 2025 on 24 October 2025. So, after a few days, you can expect the SSA to announce the COLA 2026. So, SSDI recipients by the end of October 2025, you can hear the COLA 2026 and your expected payment increase.
With the COLA 2026, the SSA will also publish the fact sheet, which will have all the changes, income threshold, and other information related to the Social Security benefits.
How to increase your disability benefits?
If you receive SSDI benefits, you can receive Medicare coverage, but you can also increase your benefit payment in the following way:
- You can check if you qualify for the Supplemental Security Income and receive both SSDI and SSI. The current SSI payment for individuals is $967, and $1450 for couples, which will also increase with the COLA 2026 increase.
- Some states also offer a state supplement if you receive the SSI payment, so eventually it will also increase your benefit. So, do check if your US state offers any state supplement to the SSI recipients.
- The SSI recipients also get the SNAP benefits, which will offer food assistance to survive the rising cost of living.
The SSDI benefit supports millions of people with disabilities in the US who can’t work or are limited to certain work and are struggling with their living expenses. The COLA 2026 is expected to increase the benefit payments, so stay vigilant in the coming week, as the SSA can announce it anytime this week.
Disclaimer: Information about the SSDI increase for 2026 is for general reference only. Official benefit amounts and eligibility are determined by the Social Security Administration.
