The government shutdown is delaying the announcement for the 2026 federal retiree cost-of-living adjustment which affects those retired under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS).
The COLA for next year will be announced once September consumer price index data is available (which was scheduled for release on Oct. 15). Due to the federal government shutdown, the CPI data release has been rescheduled to Oct. 24.
This statement from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) was published on Oct. 10:
“September 2025 CPI Release Rescheduled: BLS will publish the September 2025 Consumer Price Index (CPI) on Friday, October 24, 2025, at 8:30 A.M. Eastern Time. No other releases will be rescheduled or produced until the resumption of regular government services. This release allows the Social Security Administration to meet statutory deadlines necessary to ensure the accurate and timely payment of benefits.”
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