Updating the Social Security Benefit Calculator
Updating the Calculator
You can keep the benefit calculator up-to-date by adding the annually announced automatic changes to the benefit increases and wage-related amounts. Those figures are updated annually in mid October.
If you prefer, you can download the new version of the calculator with the new amounts built in. It is usually preferable to download the new version of the calculator (currently 2026.1), because in addition to the automatic changes, it has enhancements to the user interface and/or the calculations.
The 2025 update
The Social Security automatic cost-of-living adjustment for December 2025 and the wage-indexed amounts for 2026 were announced in the fall of 2025. More information on these automatic adjustments is available.
The 2025.1 or 2025.2 versions of the Social Security Benefit Calculator can be updated to include the newly announced amounts. The amounts required for updating the 2025 versions of the Social Security Benefit Calculator are as follows:
- Cost-of-living adjustment for December 2025: 2.8 percent
- National average wage index for 2024: $69,846.57
- Contribution and benefit base for 2026: $184,500
- "Old-law" contribution and benefit base for 2026: $137,100
To update a 2025 version of the calculator, choose Properties from the main menu, then Historical Amounts, then Update. If the dialog box that appears requests amounts for 2026, enter the above amounts. If it requests amounts for 2027 or later, then the amounts for 2026 computations have already been entered. In that case, press Cancel, then choose Properties, Historical Amounts, and Modify. In the dialog box that appears, press Next Year or Previous Year until it requests amounts for 2026 computations. Then enter the above amounts.
When you are ready to use the newly entered amounts, choose Properties from the main menu, then Computation Year. In the dialog box that appears, enter 2026.
The calculator will now produce 2026-style estimates, except that the stored assumptions (from the 2025 or older Trustees Report) will not be updated. To have a fully up-to-date calculator, you should download the new version.
Questions or comments
If you have questions or comments about the Detailed Calculator, please visit our Contact Social Security page for ways to contact us. Remember to use "Detailed Calculator" as the subject so we know which calculator your question or comment refers to.