India, Dec. 11 -- Social Security benefits in 2026: The financial burden of holiday season expenses impacts nearly 74 million individuals who receive Social Security payments, all of whom are anxiously awaiting the anticipated cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2026, which will take effect for most beneficiaries with the first payment in January.

The COLA increase for 2026 is set at 2.8%, translating to an average increase of approximately $56 for retirees. Given that retirees typically rely on fixed incomes, they are particularly vulnerable to the rising costs of goods and services, especially food prices.

The COLA adjustment is initially applied each year to the 7.4 million recipients of Supplemental Security Income, which is design...