Where can federal employees and retirees find official OPM updates and notifications about the 2026 COLA?
Executive summary
Federal employees and retirees should consult the Office of Personnel Management’s website and its retirement/COLA pages for official notices — OPM posts finalized pay tables, special-rate notices, and COLA FAQs at opm.gov (see OPM pages and special-rate notice) [1] [2]. Social Security Administration announcements drive the retiree COLA percentage and OPM says COLA changes are made in December and appear in January payments [1] [3].
1. Where OPM posts official COLA and pay-table notices
OPM’s official website is the authoritative source for federal pay and annuity adjustments: the agency publishes COLA FAQs, General Schedule pay tables and special-rate pages that memorialize final decisions and effective dates [1] [2]. For 2026, OPM’s retirement FAQ page lists the CSRS and FERS COLA amounts and notes that if a COLA is payable, “we make the change in December of each year” [1]. For active-worker pay changes, OPM’s special-rates page signals it will release special-rate tables and new pay tables on opm.gov before year-end, with tentative effective dates shown there [2].
2. How the SSA and OPM timing work together
The Social Security Administration typically calculates the COLA in mid‑October using CPI‑W data; OPM then implements retiree annuity changes, making the December adjustment that appears in the first business-day payment in January [3] [1]. Reporting notes that the SSA’s timing can shift (for example because of delayed CPI releases or government disruptions), which in turn can postpone final COLA calculations and agency notices [4].
3. What exact OPM pages to check for 2026 specifics
For retirees: OPM’s “Learn more about cost‑of‑living adjustments (COLA)” FAQ gives the 2026 figures — 2.8% for CSRS annuitants and 2.0% for many FERS annuitants — and explains the December implementation timing [1]. For active employees and special pay: OPM’s dedicated “2026 Special Rates for Certain Law Enforcement Personnel” and related pay‑and‑leave pages describe the anticipated release of special rate tables and the January 11, 2026 tentative effective date for GS base changes [2].
4. What to expect in OPM notifications and documents
OPM will publish finalized 2026 pay tables and special‑rate tables on opm.gov by late 2025, according to its own notices and reporting; those documents contain the detailed pay tables agencies and payroll offices must use to implement raises and special rates [5] [2]. For annuitants, OPM’s FAQ and related guidance explain how the percentage translates into December changes reflected in January payments [1].
5. How reporting and advocacy groups amplify — and sometimes complicate — the message
News outlets and advocacy sites (FedSmith, Federal News Network, myfederalretirement, trade press) republish and interpret OPM/SSA numbers and timing — for example, several outlets reported a 2.8% COLA for many retirees and that FERS annuitants may see a smaller “diet” COLA [6] [3]. These outlets can be useful for plain‑language explanations, but the original OPM/SSA pages remain the decisive texts for implementation and legal detail [1] [3].
6. Common points of confusion to watch for in OPM notices
Readers routinely conflate the COLA for retirees with the general pay increase for active employees; OPM distinguishes those: COLA affects annuities (OPM/SSA timing) while OPM administers active pay adjustments and special rates (different statutes and implementation dates) [1] [2]. Also note that some FERS annuitants receive a smaller increase because of statutory “less‑than‑full” COLA rules reported by multiple outlets [6] [7].
7. If you need immediate confirmation or a paper trail
Check these specific OPM pages and dated notices at opm.gov: the retirement COLA FAQ for annuitant percentages and timing [1] and the pay/special‑rate pages for 2026 GS and law‑enforcement tables [2]. If OPM’s site is slow or you need agency‑level detail, agencies’ HR/payroll offices implement the tables OPM posts; press reporting and union announcements can tell you when payrolls expect to apply the changes, but OPM’s posted tables are the authoritative source [2] [5].
Limitations and caveats: available sources do not mention any OPM mobile app or automated SMS alert system for COLA updates; the reporting and OPM pages cited are the documented channels for official notices [1] [2].