The short answer
Many federal benefit figures changed for 2026, and a 2025 law changed several programs' rules. Social Security and SSI payments rose 2.8 percent in January 2026, and the SSI federal payment is now $994 a month for an individual. The standard Medicare Part B premium is $202.90 a month, up from $185, and Part D drug costs are capped at $2,100 for the year. SNAP figures for fiscal year 2026 took effect on October 1, 2025, with a maximum of $994 a month for a family of four, alongside new rules on internet costs, utility allowances and who can qualify. For tax year 2026 the Child Tax Credit is $2,200 a child and the largest Earned Income Tax Credit is $8,231. The temporary Marketplace subsidies of 2021 to 2025 expired, so help again stops at 400 percent of the poverty line. The 2026 poverty guideline for one person is $15,960. This page lists only changes that an agency has published and that have taken effect.
The year at a glance
Swipe sideways to see the whole table.
| Change | New figure | Took effect | Who it reaches |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social Security and SSI cost-of-living adjustment | 2.8% | January 2026 | Everyone receiving Social Security or SSI |
| SSI federal payment | $994 individual, $1,491 couple | January 2026 | SSI recipients |
| Medicare Part B standard premium | $202.90 a month, up from $185 | January 2026 | Most Medicare enrollees |
| Part D out-of-pocket cap | $2,100, up from $2,000 | January 2026 | People with Medicare drug coverage |
| SNAP maximum for a family of four | $994 a month | October 1, 2025 | SNAP households |
| Child Tax Credit | Up to $2,200 per child | Tax year 2026 | Families with children under 17 |
| Largest Earned Income Tax Credit | $8,231 | Tax year 2026 | Working families with three or more children |
| Enhanced Marketplace subsidies | Expired; help stops at 400% of poverty | January 2026 | People who buy their own insurance |
| Poverty guideline for one person | $15,960 | January 13, 2026 | Programs as each adopts it |
The table is the short version. The rest of this page explains what each change means in practice, program by program.
If you receive Social Security or SSI
Benefits payable from January 2026 rose 2.8 percent. For a retiree with an $1,800 monthly benefit, that is about $50.40 more a month, but the Part B premium rose $17.90 at the same time, so for most people on Medicare the net gain in the deposit is closer to $32.50. That is worth knowing before you budget around the headline figure.
- SSI federal benefit rate: $994 a month for an individual and $1,491 for a couple.
- Taxable maximum: $184,500 of earnings, up from $176,100.
- Earnings test: $1 withheld for every $2 above $24,480 before full retirement age, and $1 for every $3 above $65,160 in the year you reach it.
- Work credits: one for each $1,890 of earnings, up to four a year.
- Disability: substantial gainful activity is $1,690 a month, or $2,830 if blind; a trial work month is any month over $1,210.
- Maximum retirement benefit for someone retiring in 2026: $2,969 at 62, $4,152 at full retirement age and $5,181 at 70.
See how much Social Security you will get and SSI income and resource limits for how these figures are used.
If you are on Medicare
The Part B premium is $202.90 a month, with an annual deductible of $283; income-related premiums start above $109,000 of 2024 income for individuals and $218,000 for couples. The Part A hospital deductible is $1,736 per benefit period. For drugs, out-of-pocket costs for covered prescriptions are capped at $2,100 for the year, the base premium used for late penalties is $38.99, and Extra Help caps copays at $12.65 per covered drug.
Plans for 2027 can be chosen from October 15 to December 7, 2026. If the higher premium is straining your budget, look at the Medicare Savings Programs, which pay the Part B premium for people with modest incomes.
If your household gets SNAP
SNAP runs on the federal fiscal year, so its 2026 figures took effect on October 1, 2025. In the 48 contiguous states and D.C., the maximum benefit is $298 for one person and $994 for four; the gross income limit is $1,696 a month for one and $3,483 for four; the standard deduction is $209 for households of one to three and $223 for four; the shelter deduction cap is $744, with no cap for households with an older or disabled member; and the minimum benefit for one- and two-person households is $24.
The bigger news is in the rules. Under the 2025 law, internet costs no longer count toward the shelter deduction; energy assistance now brings the standard utility allowance automatically only for households with an older or disabled member; eligibility for noncitizens was narrowed; and work requirements were extended to more adults. Our SNAP guide and SNAP and Medicaid work requirements explain who is affected.
At tax time
These amounts are for tax year 2026, the return filed in early 2027. Returns filed in spring 2026 used the 2025 amounts, which were slightly lower for most items, a mix-up worth avoiding.
- Child Tax Credit: up to $2,200 per qualifying child, with up to $1,700 refundable.
- Earned Income Tax Credit: up to $664 with no qualifying children, $4,427 with one, $7,316 with two and $8,231 with three or more.
- Standard deduction: $16,100 for single filers and $32,200 for married couples filing jointly, plus $2,050 for a single filer 65 or older or $1,650 for each spouse who is.
- Senior deduction: an additional $6,000 for each person 65 or older, for tax years 2025 through 2028, reduced above $75,000 of income, or $150,000 for joint filers.
- Deductions for qualified tips and overtime pay, for tax years 2025 through 2028.
See the Child Tax Credit, the EITC, the senior deduction and tips and overtime.
If you buy your own health insurance
The enhanced premium tax credits of 2021 through 2025 expired at the end of 2025. For 2026, subsidies again stop at 400 percent of the poverty line, and households in range pay between 2.10 and 9.96 percent of income for a benchmark plan. For a household just over the line, the change can mean paying the full premium; for most households under it, a substantial credit remains. See Marketplace subsidies.
Medicaid's main changes under the 2025 law come later: work requirements for many adults in the expansion group generally begin by January 2027, along with more frequent renewals and shorter retroactive coverage for new applications.
Housing, unemployment and the rest
For housing vouchers and public housing, the 2026 allowance for each dependent is $500 a year and for an elderly or disabled family $550, and the net asset limit for admission is $105,574. Unemployment figures are set by states and several changed: Texas pays up to $605 a week and New York up to $869, while California's maximum remains $450 and Florida's $275. LIHEAP and TANF have no federal benefit amounts; each state sets its own. See Section 8 and unemployment benefits.
Two changes affect how money arrives. The federal government stopped issuing most paper checks from September 30, 2025; see the end of paper benefit checks. And the repeal of the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset raised benefits for many retired public employees and their spouses, with retroactive amounts paid during 2025; see the end of WEP and GPO.
Why your figures may come from different years
The 2026 poverty guidelines took effect on January 13, 2026: $15,960 a year for one person and $33,000 for a family of four in the 48 contiguous states and D.C. But programs adopt them on their own schedules. Medicaid and CHIP generally switched early in 2026; WIC changed on July 1, 2026; and SNAP and Marketplace coverage for 2026 still use the 2025 guidelines.
A hypothetical example: two limits, one family, one week
A family of four applies for SNAP in September 2026 and for WIC the same week. SNAP uses its fiscal year 2026 limits, based on the 2025 guidelines: $3,483 a month gross. WIC uses its July 2026 limits, based on the 2026 guidelines: $61,050 a year. Both are right for their program, even though they come from different years.
What changes next
Several figures are already moving again. SNAP figures for fiscal year 2027 took effect on October 1, 2026, and are not listed here. The 2027 cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security and SSI is announced in October 2026, with Medicare premiums for 2027 later in the fall, and the IRS publishes tax year 2027 amounts in the fall as well. Check each agency's own announcement before relying on a figure for the new year.
Common questions
How much did Social Security go up in 2026?
Benefits rose 2.8 percent, starting with benefits payable for January 2026. SSI rose by the same percentage, to $994 a month for an individual.
What is the Medicare Part B premium for 2026?
The standard premium is $202.90 a month, up from $185 in 2025, and the annual Part B deductible is $283. Higher-income enrollees pay more.
What is the standard deduction for 2026?
For tax year 2026 it is $16,100 for single filers and $32,200 for married couples filing jointly, plus $2,050 for a single filer 65 or older or $1,650 for each spouse who is.
When do the 2026 SNAP amounts apply?
From October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026, the federal fiscal year 2026. New amounts for fiscal year 2027 started on October 1, 2026.
What this page covers, and what it leaves out
This page records changes the responsible agency has published and that have taken effect. It does not cover proposals or bills that have not become law. Figures for one program do not carry over to another, states often add their own rules, and the agency that runs each program is the authority on your case.
Official sources
Check the year on every number
A figure changing does not by itself change what you receive. When you see a benefit number, check which program and which year it belongs to, then put your own numbers into the calculator for each program that applies to you. If you are new to any of these programs, start with how to apply for benefits.
