Retirement Social Security

If Your Social Security Check Is $1,700, Here’s How Much More You’ll Get in 2026

See your 2026 raise and net deposit after COLA on a $1,700 check.

By Katy Willis , Edited by Laura Hohenstein

Updated March 10, 2026

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The Social Security Administration's (SSA's) 2026 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is 2.8%. It applies to benefits paid in January for most people.

For the roughly 75 million Americans who rely on Social Security and/or SSI, the COLA increase determines how far their check will stretch against rising prices for the cost of everyday goods and services.

Beyond COLA, you need to know what taxes, withholdings, or deductions could impact your check to make sure you're making the most of your senior benefits.

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What a 2.8% COLA does to a $1,700 check

COLA is applied to your gross benefit, which is the amount before Medicare premiums or any taxes and deductions.

At 2.8%, a $1,700 benefit rises by around $47.60 per month, lifting your new gross benefit amount to $1,747.60 for 2026. Over a full year, that's an additional $571 in total benefits. COLA is automatically applied, too, so you don't need to worry about filling out any paperwork.

The SSA calculates the COLA based on third-quarter inflation in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). You should see your exact 2026 amount in the COLA notice you received in late 2025. The SSA mailed and posted these in your "my Social Security" account in late 2025.

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Why your deposit might rise by less than you expect

Most retirees have their Medicare Part B premium taken out of their Social Security check. Some also have Part D or a Medicare Advantage plan premium deducted from their gross amount. If you're in that boat, the actual net deposit you'll receive will be lower than $47.60.

Every fall, Medicare publishes the new year's premiums, and the SSA shows your personal deductions, including any Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA), in your "my Social Security" account.

Many people also choose to have their taxes withheld directly from their Social Security checks. You can ask the SSA to withhold a flat percentage of your monthly benefit. You can select 7%, 10%, 12%, or 22% so that you're not caught off-guard by a hefty tax bill.

If you don't have Medicare deductions and haven't opted in to federal tax withholding, then you'll see the full gross COLA increase in your deposit.

How 2026's COLA compares to previous years

COLA for 2025 was 2.5% and 2024's was 3.2%. The outlier was 2023's COLA at 8.7%, driven by an inflation spike. So while the new COLA isn't huge, it is still worth having because it helps offset at least some of the price rises for goods and services.

Plus, COLAs compound. Each year's increased gross benefit becomes the base for the next year. Even though some of the gain gets eaten up by Medicare premiums or higher grocery and utility bills, your base benefit amount still moves up, protecting your purchasing power over time.

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Things that absorb the COLA raise

COLA is based on the CPI-W, which tracks worker spending patterns using average prices from July to September. But your own costs can move differently.

For example, categories retirees feel most keenly, such as shelter, food, utilities, and medical care, have often risen faster than overall inflation. So if your electricity bill is higher because you're home all day and need extra warmth, or you develop a health complaint that requires multiple prescription medications, that extra $47.60 can disappear rapidly.

Health costs are another big factor that can quickly eat into your benefits. If your Part B premium or IRMAA surcharge increases for 2026, your net deposit won't reflect the full $47.60 increase, even though it'll still be part of your gross monthly figure.

If you work while collecting, remember the earnings test

If you're under full retirement age (FRA) and still working, the retirement earnings test can temporarily withhold benefits when you go over the annual limit. For 2026, the exempt amounts rise to $24,480 if you're under FRA all year, and $65,160 in the year you reach your full retirement age. The SSA withholds $1 for every $2 (or $1 in every $3 the year you reach FRA) you earn over those limits.

The withholding is automatic, and you may find that your check is significantly reduced or skipped until the SSA has withheld the required amount. However, the money hasn't vanished. At FRA, your benefit is adjusted to credit the withheld months, raising your baseline amount.

Make this year's raise do more work

Once you know your true net increase, assign a job to each of those dollars. If your deposit is up by the full $47.60, consider putting most of it toward an expense that you've noticed creeping up, like a prescription copay or your groceries.

If Medicare premiums cut into your net benefit, it may be worth trying to trim a flexible expense for a couple of months to help even out the difference. Check your tax withholding, too, so you don't set aside too much (or too little) of your benefit.

And, if medical costs are really squeezing your budget, even after the COLA is applied, use Medicare's plan finder during open enrollment to see if a different Part D or Medicare Advantage plan could save you money next year.

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Bottom line

For a $1,700 monthly Social Security benefit, the 2026 COLA adds about $47.60 per month, lifting your gross benefit amount to $1,747.60. This adds around $571 per year to your gross income. But that's before deductions for tax or Medicare premiums.

Remember that, to get your own real numbers, including your actual net deposit, you'll need to sign into your "my Social Security" account and look at the COLA notice you should have. Once you have that, you can adjust your budget so you don't make any mistakes with your senior benefits.

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