When the 2027 COLA Is Announced
The Social Security Administration will announce the 2027 cost-of-living adjustment on 14 October 2026. The announcement follows the Bureau of Labor Statistics release of September inflation data, which is the final piece the SSA needs to finish the calculation.
Current projections put the increase somewhere around 3.5% to 3.6%. The Senior Citizens League estimates 3.6%. AARP has projected roughly 3.5%. Neither is official, and the final number depends on September figures that are not published yet.
If it lands at 3.6%, that is meaningfully higher than the 2.8% adjustment that took effect in January 2026.
2027 Social Security COLA Calculator
Based on the current 3.6% projection. The official figure is announced 14 October 2026.
Projection only. The Senior Citizens League estimates 3.6% and AARP estimates about 3.5%. The official figure depends on September CPI-W data.
Medicare Part B premiums are deducted before payment and also change each year, so your actual deposit may rise by less than the figure above.
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What the Increase Is Worth
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The average monthly Social Security retirement benefit is about $2,071. A 3.6% adjustment would add roughly $75 a month, bringing the average payment to around $2,146.
For comparison, the 2026 increase of 2.8% added about $56 a month to the average benefit.
Your own increase depends entirely on what you currently receive. The percentage is the same for everyone, so a larger benefit means a larger dollar increase. The calculator above works it out for any amount.
Roughly what a 3.6% increase looks like
- $1,000 a month becomes about $1,036
- $1,500 a month becomes about $1,554
- $2,071 a month becomes about $2,146
- $2,500 a month becomes about $2,590
- $3,000 a month becomes about $3,108
These assume the projection holds. Recalculate once the official figure is published.
How the COLA Is Actually Calculated
The formula is fixed in law, which is why the announcement date is predictable and why estimates get more accurate as October approaches.
The SSA uses the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, known as CPI-W. It averages the CPI-W for July, August and September of the current year, then compares that average to the same three months of the previous year. The percentage difference is the COLA.
Two of those three months are already known. That is why projections in mid-September are usually close to the final figure. Only September data remains unknown, so it is the only thing that can still move the number.
If prices did not rise, there is no adjustment. That has happened before, most recently in 2010, 2011 and 2016, when the COLA was zero.
When You Actually See the Money
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See What I Qualify For →🔒 Free · Private · Takes 2 minutesThe adjustment applies to payments from January 2027. It is not backdated and there is no separate payment.
SSI recipients typically see it slightly earlier. Because the SSI payment date falls on the first of the month and 1 January is a federal holiday, the January payment is usually issued on the last business day of December.
In December, the SSA sends every beneficiary a personalised COLA notice giving the exact new monthly amount, including what will be deducted for Medicare. You can also view it in your my Social Security account.
Medicare Will Take Some of It
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This is the part that surprises people every year, and it matters more than usual right now.
Medicare Part B premiums are deducted from Social Security payments before they reach you. The 2026 standard Part B premium is $202.90 a month, up $17.90 from $185.00 in 2025. That was a substantial jump, and it absorbed a large share of the 2026 COLA for many people.
The 2027 Part B premium is announced separately, usually in November. Until then, nobody knows how much of the 2027 COLA will survive the deduction.
If you are on a modest income, this is worth acting on. Medicare Savings Programs can pay your Part B premium in full, and they are among the most underclaimed benefits in the country. Eligibility is based on income and resources, and the limits are higher than most people assume. Our Medicaid guide covers how these programs work alongside Medicare.
Who Gets the Adjustment
The COLA applies across the board to:
- Social Security retirement benefits
- Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Survivor benefits
- Spousal and dependent benefits
SSI amounts move by the same percentage. The 2026 federal SSI payment is $994 a month for an individual and $1,491 for a couple. At 3.6% those would rise to roughly $1,030 and $1,545. Our SSI benefits guide covers state supplements, which are added on top and vary widely.
If you receive SSDI, see our SSI and SSDI comparison for how the two programs differ and why some people receive both.
What Else Changes in January
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Check My Benefits in 2 Minutes →The COLA gets the attention, but several other figures move at the same time and some of them matter more to working people than the payment increase does.
The earnings test limits. If you claim before full retirement age and keep working, part of your benefit is withheld once earnings pass a threshold. Those thresholds rise each year.
Substantial Gainful Activity for SSDI. The monthly earnings limit that determines whether you can keep receiving disability benefits is adjusted annually. Getting this wrong is one of the most common reasons people lose SSDI. Our guide on working while on SSDI explains how the limit is applied.
The maximum taxable earnings cap. The amount of income subject to Social Security payroll tax rises with average wages.
SSI resource limits. These are set in statute rather than indexed, so they generally do not move with the COLA.
Could the Announcement Be Delayed?
Possibly. It has happened recently.
In 2025, a federal government shutdown beginning 1 October furloughed most of the Bureau of Labor Statistics and delayed the September CPI release. The COLA announcement, originally scheduled for 15 October, moved to 24 October.
A delay changes the announcement date but not the outcome. The formula still applies, the increase still takes effect in January, and no payment is missed. If the September data is late, the announcement simply follows whenever it arrives.
Frequently Asked Questions
What will the 2027 COLA be?
It has not been announced. The Senior Citizens League currently estimates 3.6% and AARP has projected around 3.5%. The official figure comes on 14 October 2026, once September inflation data is published.
When is the 2027 COLA announced?
14 October 2026, immediately after the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases the September CPI-W report. A government shutdown could push it later, as happened in 2025.
When will I see the increase in my payment?
Payments from January 2027. SSI recipients usually receive the January payment on the last business day of December, because 1 January is a federal holiday.
Does the COLA apply to SSI and SSDI too?
Yes. The same percentage applies to retirement, SSDI, SSI, survivor and spousal benefits.
Why is my increase smaller than the COLA percentage?
Almost always because of Medicare. Part B premiums are deducted before your payment arrives, and they rise most years. The 2026 premium of $202.90 was $17.90 higher than 2025, which absorbed much of that year’s adjustment for many people.
How is the COLA calculated?
The SSA averages the CPI-W for July, August and September, then compares it to the same three months of the previous year. The percentage difference is the adjustment. If there is no increase, there is no COLA.
Will I be told my exact new amount?
Yes. The SSA mails a personalised COLA notice in December showing your exact 2027 payment and any Medicare deduction. It also appears in your my Social Security account.
We Will Update This Page on 14 October
The calculator above runs on the current projection. As soon as the SSA publishes the official figure, we update the percentage and every number on this page recalculates against it.
Get the official figure on 14 October
We will email you once, on the day the SSA confirms the 2027 adjustment. Nothing else.
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In the meantime, if you are living on Social Security and want to know what else you may be entitled to, our free eligibility checker takes about two minutes.
