📋 How 2026 Social Security Changes Could Affect You (AARP Article)

[Winter2025VA]

FROM THE ARTICLE.

6 Big Social Security Changes for 2026.
COLA increase, higher Medicare costs and a new tax break will affect beneficiaries’ bottom lines in the year to come.

By Deirdre Shesgreen, AARP. Published October 28, 2025.

From the highly anticipated cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to a less-welcome hike in Medicare premiums, Social Security beneficiaries will see several big changes in 2026.

The developments are driven by new federal policies and economic shifts, such as inflation and income trends, that affect the more than 70 million people receiving Social Security benefits, as well as the estimated 185 million workers (and future beneficiaries) paying into the system.Here’s what you need to know about Social Security in 2026:

USE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE.

https://www.aarp.org/social-security/biggest-2026-changes/

[GailL1]

From a beneficiary that has always paid taxes on my benefits and also paid the self-employed rate of payroll taxes (12.4% ) in the many years that I was working.   

To All Who Wanted This - i.e. - an elimination to Taxes on Benefits - you got SOME of what you wanted.  But at what final result.  

Pay special attention to #4 -PAYING TAXES ON BENEFITS 

per the AARP article link in the OP ~

A new tax break for people ages 65 and older could reduce or fully offset taxes on Social Security income for millions of older Americans in 2026.

The new deduction will reduce taxable income by up to $6,000 for eligible taxpayers. AARP backed making the provision part of the tax and spending legislation Congress passed in July, dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”

The provision applies to people who are at least 65 at the end of 2025. Individual filers with a modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) up to $75,000 or married couples filing jointly with a combined MAGI of up to $150,000 can claim the full $6,000. Individuals with incomes of up to $175,000 for single filers or $250,000 for married couples can claim a reduced deduction.

The temporary deduction, which runs through the 2028 tax year, will cost Social Security $168.6 billion in lost tax revenue over the next 10 years and hasten the depletion of the program’s trust funds by up to six months, according to an Aug. 5 analysis from Social Security’s chief actuary.

end copy paste

Who knows it might even be less than six months - so better save the amount you are not paying for those taxes on benefits cause you might need that amount to make those ends meet.