2026 Pay Raise for Disabled Veterans and Military Retirees
Military retirees and disabled veterans will receive a 2.8% increase in their monthly paychecks for 2026, due to the annual Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) tied to inflation.
The 2.8% raise for 2026 is an increase from the 2.5% raise in 2025, and follows a string of raises, including an 8.7% raise in 2023.
The Social Security Administration announced the COLA increase, which is required by law to keep pace with inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
- The Department of Labor determines the annual COLA by measuring the CPI.
- The CPI compares the cost of consumer goods and expenses to the previous year.
- If there is an increase, a COLA is applied; if not, benefits remain the same.
Most government disability and retirement payments must, by law, go up annually by the same amount to account for the rate of inflation.
Read more about the 2026 VA Disability Pay Rates.
Author's summary: Military retirees and disabled veterans get a 2.8% pay raise.