As an example, a military retiree who receives $2,500 in retired pay will see a COLA increase of about $70 a month. For a veteran receiving $1,500 per month in benefits, the increase would be about $42 in 2026.

Civil Service Retirement System retirees will see a 2.8% increase to their defined-benefit annuities next year, compared to just a 2% bump for Federal Employees Retirement System annuitants.