What changes in June 2025
Social Security payments themselves do not change in June. The program runs on a fixed schedule: most beneficiaries receive payments on the second, third, or fourth Wednesday of each month, depending on their birth date. That schedule stays the same in June 2025 as it has been.
What does change in June is the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) takes effect for the year. COLA is an annual percentage increase to your benefit amount, meant to keep your payment in line with inflation. The 2025 COLA was announced in October 2024 and applies to all payments starting in June 2025 — not just new beneficiaries, but everyone already receiving Social Security.
The 2025 COLA percentage was 2.5 percent. That means if you received $1,000 per month in May 2025, your June 2025 payment will be $1,025. The exact dollar increase depends on your current benefit amount, which varies widely based on your work history and the age you started taking benefits.
Key Takeaways
- Your payment date in June 2025 follows the same schedule as every other month — based on your birth date, not a change to the system.
- The 2025 COLA of 2.5 percent increases all benefit amounts starting with your June payment, though the dollar increase varies by person.
- You do not need to do anything to receive the COLA increase; it happens automatically if you are already receiving benefits.
- If you are receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) in addition to Social Security, your SSI payment may also increase, but the rules differ slightly.
How the COLA percentage was set
The Social Security Administration calculates COLA each year using the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). This index tracks the cost of goods and services — food, housing, transportation, medical care — across the country. In October, the SSA compares the average CPI-W for the third quarter of the current year to the third quarter of the previous year. The percentage change becomes the COLA for the following year.
For 2025, inflation measured by CPI-W was lower than it had been in 2023 and 2024, so the 2.5 percent COLA is smaller than the 8.7 percent increase in 2023 or the 3.2 percent increase in 2024. COLA can also be zero or very small if inflation is flat or negative, though that is rare.
The COLA applies to all Social Security benefits: retirement, survivor, and disability payments all increase by the same percentage. It also applies to the maximum benefit amount and to the earnings limit that affects people who work while receiving benefits.
When you will see the increase in your account
Your June 2025 payment will be the first one that includes the COLA increase. If you receive payments by direct deposit, the money will arrive on your regular payment date in June. If you receive a paper check, it will be mailed on your regular payment date.
You can check your exact payment date by logging into your my Social Security account at ssa.gov, or by calling Social Security at 1-800-772-1213. Your payment date depends on your birth date: people born on the 1st through the 10th of any month are paid on the second Wednesday; the 11th through the 20th on the third Wednesday; and the 21st through the 31st on the fourth Wednesday. (This schedule applies to people who started receiving benefits after May 1997. People who started before that date are paid on the 3rd of each month.)
The increase will show up in your bank account or mailbox on that date — you do not receive a separate notice or payment for the COLA adjustment. It is straightforward added to your regular benefit amount.
How COLA affects your taxes and other benefits
If you pay federal income tax on your Social Security benefits, the COLA increase may push more of your benefits into the taxable range. Social Security benefits become taxable if your combined income — which includes half your Social Security benefit plus all other income — exceeds certain thresholds. Those thresholds are $25,000 for a single filer and $32,000 for married filing jointly. The thresholds do not adjust for inflation, so COLA can gradually move more beneficiaries into taxable territory over time.
If you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), the COLA increase to your Social Security benefit may reduce your SSI payment. SSI is a needs-based program with strict income and resource limits. When your Social Security payment goes up, your SSI payment may go down by the same amount, depending on your other income and resources. However, SSI has an exclusion that protects the first $65 of your monthly unearned income, so a small COLA increase may not reduce your SSI at all.
If you are receiving Medicare, your premium may also change. Some beneficiaries are protected by a "hold harmless" provision that prevents their Medicare Part B premium from rising more than the amount of their Social Security increase. Others pay the full premium. The rules are complex and depend on whether you are already on Medicare and when you enrolled.
What to do if your June payment looks wrong
If your June 2025 payment is significantly smaller or larger than you expected, the first step is to check your payment date. Log into your my Social Security account or call 1-800-772-1213 to confirm the date your payment should arrive. Payments sometimes arrive a day or two later than scheduled due to banking delays, so wait a few business days before reporting a problem.
If your payment is late or missing entirely, contact Social Security directly. Have your Social Security number and bank account information ready. If you receive a paper check, allow up to two weeks for mail delivery before reporting it missing.
If your payment amount is wrong — for example, if it is much smaller than your May payment plus the expected COLA increase — ask Social Security to review your account. Errors can happen, though they are uncommon. Social Security can explain what your benefit amount should be and why, and can correct errors if they find one.
Planning for future COLA increases
COLA changes every year based on inflation, so your benefit amount will likely be different in June 2026 than it is in June 2025. The 2026 COLA will be announced in October 2025 and will take effect in June 2026. You can track inflation trends throughout the year to get a rough sense of what COLA might be, but the exact percentage is not known until October.
If you are still working and receiving Social Security, remember that the earnings limit also increases with COLA. In 2025, the earnings limit is $23,400 per year for people under full retirement age. If you earn more than that, Social Security reduces your benefit by $1 for every $2 you earn above the limit. The limit will be higher in 2026 due to COLA, giving you more room to earn without a reduction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to do anything to get the COLA increase?
No. If you are already receiving Social Security, the COLA increase happens automatically. You do not need to contact Social Security, fill out any forms, or take any action. The increase appears in your June 2025 payment.
Will my Medicare premium go up because of the COLA increase?
It depends on your situation. If you are protected by the "hold harmless" provision, your Medicare Part B premium cannot increase more than the amount of your Social Security increase. If you are not protected — for example, if you are newly enrolled in Medicare — your premium may increase independently of your Social Security payment. Contact Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE to find out which rule applies to you.
What if I am receiving SSI along with Social Security?
Your SSI payment may decrease when your Social Security increases, because SSI is based on need and has strict income limits. However, SSI excludes the first $65 of unearned income each month, so a small COLA increase might not affect your SSI at all. Contact your local SSI office to find out how the June increase will affect your specific payment.
Can I get the COLA increase if I just started receiving benefits in June 2025?
No. COLA applies to people already receiving benefits as of June 1, 2025. If your first payment arrives in June 2025, it will not include the COLA increase. Your benefit amount will be based on your work history and the age you started taking benefits. You will receive the next COLA increase in June 2026.
What if I think my payment amount is wrong?
Log into your my Social Security account at ssa.gov to see your current benefit amount and payment history. If the amount looks incorrect, call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 with your Social Security number ready. They can review your account and explain how your benefit was calculated.