Second-largest increase in the history of Social Security for 2026: older adults will experience a further decline in their standard of living, according to experts
Once again, Trump’s policies are set to make life harder for ordinary Americans.
Next year, millions of older Americans will receive a boost in their benefits via Social Security Administration’s annual cost‑of‑living adjustment (COLA). But for many, the relief will be largely illusory. Sounds great, right? For once Trump is doing something positive for ordinary people.
Wrong. The raise is being overshadowed by soaring healthcare costs, most notably the sharp rise in Medicare Part B premiums.
As of January 2026, Social Security benefits will increase by 2.8 per cent, affecting roughly 71 million benefit people across the nation.
Trump’s health care plan?
— Ed Markey (@SenMarkey) November 18, 2025
10 million Americans losing Medicaid coverage.
4.8 million Americans losing ACA coverage with tax credits expiring.
22 million having their premiums double next year for the same reason.
51,000 preventable deaths each coming year.
All so Trump can give… pic.twitter.com/cx6O93OQaa
Trump plan “another continuation in relentless cost increases
On the surface that sounds like progress, but the reality for many retirees is stark. While the extra income may average around $56 a month, it is being eaten up, to a huge degree, by the automatic deduction of the Part B premium.
For 2026, the standard Part B monthly premium will rise to US$202.90, up from US$185 in 2025. This is a nearly 10% increase, and the second‑largest dollar jump in the program’s history.
Because these premiums are typically deducted from Social Security payments, much of the benefit of the COLA is neutralised.
Mary Johnson, an independent Social Security and Medicare policy analyst, told USA Today: “The public is likely to perceive this Part B increase as taking a significant chunk of or even most of their COLA. In other words, another continuation in relentless cost increases battering consumer finances.”
What this means in practical terms is, simply put, terrifying. Even after the official ‘pay rise’, many retirees will find themselves with little to show for it once healthcare and other rising living costs are factored in. Don’t let Trump tell you otherwise, he is not here to serve you.
There are additional complications. Some beneficiaries will face higher premiums because of income‑related surcharges under Part B, meaning their net benefit increase may be even less favourable.
Trump's Project 2025 is intended to remove 100M people from the USA by deporting immigrants and letting the poor & sick die by pricing them out of Medicaid and Medicare. He wants them dead.
— Morgan J. Freeman (@mjfree) November 15, 2025
This is eugenics. This is what Hitler did.
This is what's happening right here, right…
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“If individuals have other automatic deductions such as for Medicare Advantage or Part D premiums, increases in those premiums could reduce Social Security benefits,” Johnson told USA Today. “To complicate things,” she added, “there are fewer stand-alone Part D plans to choose from.”
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