Updated: November 9, 2026
The Social Security COLA 2027 is 3.6 percent. The Social Security Administration announced the figure on October 14, 2026. The average retirement benefit will grow by about 75 dollars a month. Nearly 72 million people will see the higher amount in their January 2027 payments.
People who receive Supplemental Security Income will see it sooner, on December 31, 2026. This guide gives you the new amounts, the payment dates, and what Medicare may take back. It also shows you how to check your own new amount in a few minutes.
What is the Social Security COLA for 2027? It is 3.6 percent. The Social Security Administration announced it on October 14, 2026. The average retired worker will get about 75 dollars more each month. The new average benefit is about 2,170 dollars a month. Payments rise in January 2027. SSI payments rise on December 31, 2026.
Social Security COLA 2027: How Much More Will You Get
The 3.6 percent raise sounds small until you see it in dollars. The average retired worker now gets about 2,095 dollars a month. After the Social Security COLA 2027, that average rises to about 2,170 dollars a month. That is 75 dollars more each month, or 900 dollars more over the full year.
These figures come from the Social Security COLA 2027 fact sheet, published on October 14, 2026. The fact sheet lists the estimated average monthly benefits payable in January 2027. Your own amount depends on your work history and the age at which you claimed benefits. People who claimed early get less than the average.
People who waited until age 70 get more.
A simple table shows the change for the average retired worker. The numbers are the official estimates from the Social Security Administration. They are averages, not promises for any one person. Your notice will show your exact new amount.
Still, the table gives you a clear picture of what the 3.6 percent raise means in real money. For the full breakdown by check size, see our guide on how much Social Security will increase in 2027.
| Benefit | Before COLA | After COLA | Monthly gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| All retired workers (average) | $2,095 | $2,170 | $75 |
| SSI, individual (federal maximum) | $994 | $1,029 | $35 |
| SSI, couple (federal maximum) | $1,491 | $1,544 | $53 |
You can work out your own raise with simple math. Take your current monthly benefit and multiply it by 0.036. A check of 1,000 dollars rises by 36 dollars, to 1,036 dollars. A check of 1,500 dollars rises by 54 dollars, to 1,554 dollars. A check of 2,000 dollars rises by 72 dollars, to 2,072 dollars.
A check of 2,500 dollars rises by 90 dollars, to 2,590 dollars. The Social Security Administration rounds your new payment down to the whole dollar. That is why your official notice may differ from your own math by a dollar. The raise is automatic, so you do not need to apply for it or call anyone to get it.
Who Gets the 2027 COLA
Nearly 72 million Social Security beneficiaries will see the 3.6 percent cost of living adjustment in January 2027. The figure comes from the Social Security Administration press release of October 14, 2026. The raise covers Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance, which the agency calls OASDI. It covers retired workers, their spouses, survivors, and people who receive disability benefits.
About 7.3 million people who receive Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, also get the raise. Their first higher payment arrives on December 31, 2026. The increase applies to the benefit itself, so it stays with you for as long as you receive benefits. It is not a one-time payment or a bonus. It becomes part of your monthly check from now on.
The raise needs no action from you. The Social Security Administration applies it to every eligible benefit by itself. You do not need to fill out a form, visit an office, or call the agency. If someone contacts you and asks for a fee to activate your raise, that is a scam.
The agency never charges a fee for a cost of living adjustment. SSI recipients should also read our guide to the SSI payment increase 2027. Your job is only to read your COLA notice when it arrives and check that the new amount looks right. The notice will show your new benefit, your Medicare deduction, and any tax withholding. Keep it with your other benefit papers so you can check it against your bank deposit in January. The Social Security COLA 2027 amount is on that notice.
Social Security COLA 2027 Payment Dates
Most people will see the higher amount in their January 2027 payment. The exact day depends on your birthday. Social Security pays most people on a Wednesday, and the Wednesday depends on the day of the month you were born. People born on the 1st through the 10th are paid on the second Wednesday. People born on the 11th through the 20th are paid on the third Wednesday. People born on the 21st through the 31st are paid on the fourth Wednesday. In January 2027, those dates are January 13, January 20, and January 27.
Two groups are paid earlier, on the 3rd of the month. They are people who started benefits before May 1997, and people who receive both Social Security and SSI. In January 2027, that payment arrives on December 31, 2026. January 3 is a Sunday, and January 1 is a federal holiday.
SSI follows its own calendar. SSI is normally paid on the 1st of each month. When the 1st falls on a weekend or a federal holiday, the payment moves to the business day before. January 1, 2027 is a federal holiday, so the January SSI payment arrives on Thursday, December 31, 2026. That payment is the first one with the 3.6 percent raise.
It is not an extra payment. It is simply the January payment arriving early, as it does every year when January 1 is a holiday. The full Social Security payment schedule 2027 lists every pay date for the year. If you receive both Social Security and SSI, your Social Security payment also arrives on December 31, 2026 for January.
When will I see my 2027 COLA? Most people see it in their January 2027 payment, on January 13, 20, or 27 by birthday. SSI recipients see it on December 31, 2026. People who started benefits before May 1997 also get paid December 31, 2026. Your personal COLA notice shows your exact new amount.
How the 3.6 Percent Was Decided
The 3.6 percent figure was not chosen by a politician or by the Social Security Administration. It comes from a formula written into the Social Security Act. The law ties the annual COLA to the CPI-W. That is the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics measures the CPI-W each month.
The agency compares the average CPI-W for July, August, and September with the same three months of the year before. The change between those two averages becomes the COLA, rounded to the nearest tenth of a percent. The Bureau of Labor Statistics published the September inflation data on the morning of October 14, 2026.
The Social Security Administration announced the 3.6 percent COLA later that same day.
This system has been in place since 1975. It means the raise tracks the prices that working people actually pay. When prices rise fast, the COLA rises fast. When prices rise slowly, the COLA is small. The Commissioner of Social Security, Frank J. Bisignano, said the raise will give beneficiaries greater financial stability. Groups that speak for retirees had mixed views. The Senior Citizens League welcomed the raise. It warned that the raise may not cover the real rise in costs for older people. AARP had projected a raise of about 3.6 percent before the announcement, so the official figure matched its forecast.
The 3.6 percent raise is the largest since the 8.7 percent jump in 2023. It is clearly better than the 2.8 percent raise for 2026 and the 2.5 percent raise for 2025. The Social Security COLA 2027 follows the same CPI-W rule.
What Medicare May Take From Your Raise
Your gross raise is 75 dollars a month on average, but your bank deposit may grow by less. The reason is the Medicare Part B premium. Most people have their Part B premium taken straight out of their Social Security check. The 2027 premium had not been announced as of November 8, 2026. The 2026 Social Security Trustees Report projects the standard Part B premium at about 209.50 dollars a month in 2027. That would be a rise of about 6.60 dollars from the 2026 premium of 202.90 dollars.
If that projection holds, the average retiree would keep about 68 dollars of the 75 dollar raise each month. The rest would go to the higher premium.
This is only a projection, so treat it with care. The official 2027 Part B premium is normally announced in mid-November. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services publishes the figure each year. Your COLA notice will show the exact premium taken from your check.
If you have a Medicare Advantage plan or a Part D drug plan, those costs may also change in 2027. Check your plan letter as well as your COLA notice. A higher premium does not cancel the raise. It only trims it a little. The 3.6 percent still lifts your benefit, and the higher benefit becomes the base for every future COLA. The Social Security COLA 2027 does not change your Medicare premium directly.
COLA History: 2023 to 2027
Social Security COLA 2027 looks generous next to the last two years, but it is not the largest in recent memory. The table below shows the last five COLAs. The 2023 raise of 8.7 percent was the biggest in more than 40 years. It followed a year of very high inflation. The 2024 raise was 3.2 percent.
The 2025 raise was 2.5 percent. The 2026 raise was 2.8 percent. Now the 2027 raise is 3.6 percent. Each figure was set the same way, from the CPI-W change between the third quarters of two years. The pattern shows why no one can promise a big raise every year. The COLA follows inflation, and inflation moves up and down.
| Year | COLA | What drove it |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 8.7% | Very high inflation in 2022 |
| 2024 | 3.2% | Cooling prices after the 2022 peak |
| 2025 | 2.5% | Slower price growth |
| 2026 | 2.8% | Modest price growth |
| 2027 | 3.6% | Faster price growth in mid-2026 |
The history also shows a hard truth about the COLA. It protects your buying power, but it does not make you richer. Prices rose by about the same amount as the raise in each year.
The COLA keeps your check in step with prices. It does not lift you ahead of them. That is why many retirees say the raise feels small even when the percent looks large. Groceries, rent, medicine, and utilities all rose too. The best use of the raise is to plan for it, not to spend it before it arrives.
What to Do With Your Extra 75 Dollars a Month
A raise of 75 dollars a month is 900 dollars a year, and that money works best with a small plan. First, read your COLA notice as soon as it arrives and check the new amount against your bank deposit in January. If the numbers do not match, call the Social Security Administration and ask. Second, check your Medicare premium in the same notice and note the net gain, not just the gross raise. Third, put part of the extra money into your emergency fund if you do not have one. Even 25 dollars a month builds a cushion of 300 dollars in a year.
Fourth, use part of it to pay down high-interest debt. A smaller credit card balance saves you interest every month, and that saving lasts longer than the raise itself. Our guide on how to pay off debt fast with low income shows a simple way to start. Fifth, review your monthly budget once, with the new amount in hand. Prices will keep moving, so a short budget check each January keeps you in control. If your budget is tight, our credit card payoff calculator can show how fast a small extra payment clears a balance
How to Check Your New Amount
Your personal COLA notice is the only place that shows your exact new amount. The notice appears online in your my Social Security account in late November 2026. To see it online, you need an account and you need to enroll in paperless notices by November 18, 2026. You can create an account at ssa.gov/myaccount.
If you do not enroll in paperless notices, the agency will mail your notice in December 2026. The mailed notice is a simple one-page letter. It shows your new benefit, your Medicare deduction, and any tax withholding. Read it carefully and keep it safe. If you have not received it by the end of December, sign in to your my Social Security account. You can also call the agency. Do not pay anyone who offers to check your amount for you. The check is free, and you can do it yourself in a few minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Social Security COLA for 2027?
Social Security COLA 2027 is 3.6 percent. The Social Security Administration announced it on October 14, 2026. It raises the average retirement benefit by about 75 dollars a month, from about 2,095 dollars to about 2,170 dollars. SSI also rises by 3.6 percent.
When will I get the Social Security COLA 2027 increase?
Most people get it in their January 2027 payment. The day depends on your birthday: January 13, 20, or 27. SSI recipients get it on December 31, 2026. People who started benefits before May 1997 also get paid December 31, 2026.
How much will my Social Security check increase in 2027?
Multiply your current check by 0.036. A 1,000 dollar check rises by 36 dollars. A 2,000 dollar check rises by 72 dollars. The average retired worker gains about 75 dollars a month. Your notice shows your exact amount.
Is the Social Security COLA 2027 the same for everyone?
The percent is the same for everyone, but the dollar amount is not. The 3.6 percent applies to your own benefit. A larger check gets a larger dollar raise. A smaller check gets a smaller dollar raise. SSI has its own federal maximums, which also rise by 3.6 percent.
Does SSI get the Social Security COLA 2027 too?
Yes. SSI rises by the same 3.6 percent. The federal maximum for an individual rises from 994 dollars to 1,029 dollars a month. For a couple, it rises from 1,491 dollars to 1,544 dollars. The first higher SSI payment arrives December 31, 2026.
Will Medicare take my whole COLA raise?
No. The Medicare Part B premium is projected to rise by about 6.60 dollars a month, to about 209.50 dollars. That would leave the average retiree with about 68 dollars of the 75 dollar raise. The official 2027 premium had not been announced as of November 8, 2026.
How is the COLA calculated?
The law ties it to the CPI-W, an inflation index measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The agency compares the average CPI-W for July, August, and September with the same three months of the year before. The change becomes the COLA. The Social Security COLA 2027 follows that CPI-W calculation.
Do I need to apply for the COLA?
No. The raise is automatic. The Social Security Administration applies it to every eligible benefit. You do not need to fill out a form, call, or visit an office. Anyone who asks you to pay a fee for the raise is running a scam. The Social Security COLA 2027 needs no application.
When will I get my COLA notice?
The notice appears online in your my Social Security account in late November 2026. You must enroll in paperless notices by November 18, 2026 to see it there. Paper notices are mailed in December 2026.
What was the COLA for 2026?
The 2026 COLA was 2.8 percent. It lifted the average retired worker benefit from about 2,015 dollars to about 2,071 dollars a month. The 2027 COLA of 3.6 percent is larger.
Will Social Security be taxed on the higher amount?
It can be. Up to 85 percent of your benefits can be taxed if your combined income passes a set limit. A higher benefit can push some people over that limit. Check the tax rules or ask a tax adviser if your income is near the limit.
What if my January payment looks wrong?
Wait three mailing days first, then check your my Social Security account. Compare the deposit with your COLA notice. If the amount is still wrong, call the Social Security Administration. Have your notice and your bank statement ready when you call.
Social Security COLA 2027 is good news for retirees, and the numbers are now official. Your check will rise by 3.6 percent in January, and SSI rises on December 31, 2026. Read your notice, note your net gain after Medicare, and give the extra money a small job.
That is the whole plan in one line. For more background on the program itself, read the Social Security (United States) page on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Security_(United_States)
If you are still working and saving for retirement, check the 2027 401(k) limits to see how much more you can put away next year.
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