Key Points
Social Security benefits will be higher next year. Retirees are getting a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in order to help ensure that their benefits maintain buying power as prices rise due to inflation.
With the benefits increase, the size of the average check will be $2,071, up from $2,008.31, which was the average benefit as of July 2025. Some retirees are going to collect checks that are a lot bigger than that, though.
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In fact, here is the biggest Social Security check any retiree will get next year.
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This is the new maximum Social Security benefit
In 2026, the new maximum Social Security benefit will increase to $5,251, up from $5,108. That’s a $143 monthly increase thanks to the Social Security COLA.
The maximum benefit will provide retirees who receive it with a very generous amount of income. In fact, retirees collecting the largest possible check will have an annual income of $63,012. The max benefit also more than doubles what the average senior collects from Social Security.
Of course, while the max benefit sounds generous, those retirees who collect it likely still won’t be able to live comfortably off their benefit without additional supplemental income from their retirement plans.
That’s because Social Security is only intended to replace 40% of income, so those who are collecting the max benefit are used to living on much more money.
Why is there a maximum benefit?
The maximum benefit exists because of how Social Security is calculated.
You get retirement benefits equal to a percentage of your average wages in your 35 highest-earning years. However, there is a cap on the average wage. This cap is created by the wage base limit.
The wage base limit sets a maximum income each year that is subject to Social Security tax and included in the benefit calculation. So the maximum standard Social Security benefit is equal to the appropriate percentage of the average wages of someone who earned the maximum taxable income (or more) every year for at least 35 years.
This benefit can be increased by waiting beyond full retirement age and maxing out delayed retirement credits that are available until age 70.
Since delaying can substantially increase monthly benefits, the maximum benefit for someone who retires at 70 is considerably higher than the highest check available if you retire at a younger age.
For example, in 2026, the maximum benefit for a worker retiring at full retirement age is $4,152, up from $4,018 in 2025.
Will you earn the maximum benefit?
Whether you are retiring next year or far in the future, odds are you aren’t going to get close to earning the maximum benefit. That’s because the wage base limit that you’d need to earn for 35 years in order to get it is very high.
In 2026, the maximum income subject to Social Security tax is $184,500, up from $176,100. The limit is adjusted due to inflation over time. Obviously, most people don’t earn that much money at all, much less for 35 full years. So, chances are slim of getting the max check.
You can still take steps to increase your benefit over time, including trying to earn more money and making the decision to delay your Social Security check as long as possible until 70 to max out delayed retirement credits.
But no matter what your benefit is, remember that it is only meant to replace a portion of the income that you need to live on as a retiree. So, whether you’re collecting the average benefit, the max, a below-average benefit, or somewhere in between, you should make sure that you are contributing to your 401(k), IRA, and other retirement plans so you can have the secure future that you deserve.
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