Many people expect their Social Security check to stay the same once benefits begin. Aside from routine cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs), the payment often feels steady and predictable.
In practice, the amount deposited can change from year to year, even after retirement is well underway. Some adjustments are automatic and expected. Others reflect shifts in income, premiums, or program rules that may not be obvious at first.
Understanding why these changes happen is part of learning how Social Security actually works, and it matters if you’re trying to maximize your senior benefits. Here are the main reasons your check could look different in 2026.
Find Out: 14 benefits seniors are entitled to but often forget to claim
1. Annual COLA raises your gross benefit
Social Security adjusts benefits each January to keep up with inflation. For 2026, the cost-of-living adjustment is 2.8%, which increases the gross monthly benefit for all recipients. For example, a $1,500 benefit would rise to about $1,542.
That increase applies to the full benefit amount, but it doesn’t always translate into a larger bank deposit. Medicare premiums, taxes, or income-related surcharges can rise at the same time and reduce the net payment.
The adjustment protects the value of your benefit over time, but what matters most is the amount that actually reaches your account.
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2. Medicare premiums and deductions
For most retirees, Medicare premiums are deducted directly from their Social Security benefit. In 2026, the standard Part B premium increases to $202.90, which is $17.90 more than in 2025. That increase alone reduces the amount deposited each month.
Higher-income retirees may also pay IRMAA surcharges for Part B and Part D, and those amounts are withheld automatically.
For example, individuals with modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) above $109,000, or couples above $218,000, owe an extra $81.20 per month for Part B. Similar income-based charges apply to Part D drug coverage.
When premiums rise faster than benefits, a significant share of a COLA can be absorbed before it reaches your account.
3. Taxes on your benefits
Federal taxes can affect how much of your Social Security you actually keep. Whether your benefits are taxable depends on your combined income, which includes adjusted gross income, nontaxable interest, and half of your Social Security.
If that total exceeds $25,000 for single filers or $32,000 for married couples filing jointly, up to 50% of benefits may be taxable. Above $34,000 single or $44,000 married filing jointly, up to 85% may be taxable.
Recent changes are expected to reduce taxes for many retirees. A new senior deduction may eliminate federal tax on Social Security for most households, which could mean a smaller tax bill or a larger refund.
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Retirees with higher overall income, however, may still owe taxes through withholding or when filing their return.
4. Working after retirement
If you work while receiving Social Security and have not reached full retirement age, your earnings can temporarily reduce your benefit.
In 2026, you may earn up to $24,480 per year without a reduction. Above that amount, the Social Security Administration withholds $1 in benefits for every $2 earned over the limit.
In the year you reach full retirement age, a higher $65,160 limit applies for the months before you reach that age, and the withholding rate becomes $1 for every $3 above the limit.
Note, though, that these reductions are not permanent. Once you reach full retirement age, the agency recalculates your benefit to account for the months when payments were withheld, which can increase your ongoing monthly amount.
At the same time, continued work can raise your benefit. Each year, Social Security reviews new earnings and adds them to your record if they replace a lower-earning year in the formula. Strong income later in your career may lead to a modest increase starting the following January.
5. Overpayments and corrections
Your check can also change if Social Security finds that you were paid too much. An overpayment can happen if earnings, work status, or a life change wasn’t reported right away, or if the agency made an error. By law, Social Security must recover the extra money.
If the balance is not repaid voluntarily, Social Security can withhold a portion of future benefits. Current policy allows withholding of up to 50% of a retirement benefit each month, and in some recent cases, up to 100% until the debt is recovered.
For example, a $1,000 overpayment could be collected by withholding $500 from two consecutive checks, or potentially the full monthly amount under updated rules.
Before withholding begins, the agency must send notice, and you may appeal or request a waiver if you believe the determination is incorrect or not your fault.
Still, once an overpayment is confirmed, future checks are adjusted to repay it. That correction can result in noticeably smaller payments for a period of time.
Bottom line
When your Social Security check changes, it usually reflects a routine adjustment rather than a mistake. Premium updates, earnings reviews, and policy changes are built into the system and can affect what you receive from year to year.
The important point is that your benefit is not fixed once it begins. Both the stated amount and the deposit you see can shift over time. Recognizing that flexibility can make those changes easier to manage and help reduce the risk of surprising retirement mistakes.
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