US EditionGovernment shutdown delays release of critically important inflation figures
- The ongoing government shutdown is delaying the annual Social Security COLA announcement for tens of millions of beneficiaries, now rescheduled for Oct. 24, affecting about 70.6 million people.
- BLS furloughs have halted work on data needed to calculate the COLA, postponing the September consumer inflation report and delaying the CPI-W figures used by the SSA.
- Thousands of SSA employees have been furloughed and local Social Security offices offer limited services, but payments continue on schedule and recipient notifications begin in early December.
- Experts predict a roughly 2.7% COLA, with a 2.8% increase adding just over $52 monthly to the average Social Security benefit, though rising Medicare premiums expected to jump by more than 11% may offset gains.
- The Social Security Administration must announce the COLA by Nov. 1, but the delay due to government shutdown means benefits will still be adjusted Jan. 1, 2026, despite staffing cuts.
205 Articles
205 Articles
Government shutdown delays the release of inflation figures
WASHINGTON — The government shutdown delayed another major economic report, leaving policymakers at the Federal Reserve with a cloudier picture even as the economy enters a challenging phase of stubbornly persistent inflation and a sharp slowdown in hiring.
Will the Government Shutdown Delay the 2026 Social Security COLA?
Key Points Social Security’s upcoming COLA was supposed to be announced on October 15. That announcement has been delayed due to the government shutdown. Thankfully, the agency is still on track to implement that raise in time. It sounds nuts, but SoFi is giving new active invest users up to $1k in stock, see for yourself (Sponsor) There’s a reason many seniors on Social Security had October 15 circled on their calendars. That was the date…
The ongoing government shutdown is delaying the announcement of the annual Social Security cost-of-living adjustment for tens of millions of beneficiaries.
There is a new date to announce the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for Social Security, following the delay in the government-closing inflation report
Treasury Secretary Warns Shutdown Could Cost US $15 Billion Per Day
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Oct. 15 that the now two-week government shutdown will cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars per day and called on moderate Democrats to negotiate. The White House’s Office and Management and Budget said Oct. 14 it is preparing for a protracted battle as President Donald Trump warned at a White House event that programs favored by Democrats may be terminated and that “they’re never going to come back, in…
Fox Business
The Business TimesNew Social Security COLA release date confirmed amid government shutdown
The announcement of Social Security's annual inflation adjustment to benefits has been delayed due to the government shutdown, but the agency responsible for handling the benefit increase has set a date for releasing the data next week.Social Security benefits undergo a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) every year, which updates benefit amounts to account for inflation over the last year. The size of the annual COLA is determined by the rise in t…
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