On this page
- Quick answer — official
- How much will Social Security increase in 2027? What the raise means for your check
- How the forecasts did
- How September settled it
- When the 2027 COLA was announced — and when it reaches your check
- What you’ll actually keep: Medicare Part B takes part of the raise
- How the COLA is calculated (in brief)
- Also announced for 2027
- FAQ
- Sources
Published Oct 11, 2026 · Updated Oct 14, 2026 with the official 2027 COLA (3.6%).
If you rely on a Social Security check, the number is now official: the 2027 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is 3.6%, announced by the Social Security Administration on Oct 14, 2026. That may sound small, but it applies to every monthly payment in 2027 and compounds with past adjustments. If you want the background on what a cost-of-living raise is and how it is set, our full guide covers the basics. This post covers the official figure: what it adds to a check like yours, how the forecasts did, and what you are likely to keep after Medicare Part B premiums.
One note on what follows: the 3.6% COLA is now official, announced by the Social Security Administration (SSA) on Oct 14, 2026. The forecast discussion below is kept for context — it shows how predictions compared with the official figure. Dollar amounts are gross, before Medicare premiums and tax withholding.
Quick answer — official
Social Security benefits rise 3.6% in 2027. The figure was set on Oct 14, 2026 from the September CPI-W. It applies to December 2026 benefits, paid in January 2027 (SSI from Dec 31, 2026). On the average retired worker’s $2,087.52, that is about +$75 a month.
There was never much doubt that an increase was coming — inflation, as measured by the index Social Security uses, ran clearly above last year’s comparison period. The sections below show what the official 3.6% means in dollars.
How much will Social Security increase in 2027? What the raise means for your check
Percentages are hard to budget with, so the table below converts the official 3.6% COLA into monthly checks. Find the row closest to your current monthly benefit — before deductions — and read across.
2027 monthly benefits at the official 3.6% COLA
| Current monthly benefit | At 3.6%: new benefit (+monthly gain) | Extra per year |
|---|---|---|
| $1,000 | $1,036.00 (+$36) | $432 |
| $1,250 | $1,295.00 (+$45) | $540 |
| $1,500 | $1,554.00 (+$54) | $648 |
| $1,750 | $1,813.00 (+$63) | $756 |
| $2,000 | $2,072.00 (+$72) | $864 |
| $2,087.52 (average retired worker) | $2,162.67 (+$75.15) | ~$902 |
| $2,500 | $2,590.00 (+$90) | $1,080 |
| $3,000 | $3,108.00 (+$108) | $1,296 |
| $3,500 | $3,626.00 (+$126) | $1,512 |
Gross amounts before Medicare premiums and tax withholding. SSA rounds each benefit down to the next dime, so your notice can differ by a few cents.
Enter your exact monthly benefit in our 2027 Social Security COLA calculator for your personal figure.
At 3.6%, the average retired worker ($2,087.52, SSA Monthly Statistical Snapshot, August 2026) gains about $75.15 a month; the average survivor beneficiary ($1,933) about $69.59; the average disabled worker ($1,635) about $58.86.
SSA’s own estimates for January 2027, from its 2027 COLA fact sheet, use more recent benefit levels:
| Average monthly benefit | Before the 3.6% COLA | After |
|---|---|---|
| All retired workers | $2,095 | $2,170 |
| Aged couple, both receiving benefits | $3,238 | $3,355 |
| Aged widow(er) alone | $1,936 | $2,005 |
| All disabled workers | $1,642 | $1,701 |
So the typical retiree gets about $75 more a month, in line with the table above.
Remember that SSA rounds final benefits down to the next dime, so an individual payment can differ by a few cents from a simple multiplication. Use the table for planning, and your December COLA notice for the exact amount you will be paid.
How the forecasts did
Six widely followed forecasters finished September within a tenth or two of each other. That clustering matters: these are independent estimates built from the same published inflation data, so their agreement on a narrow range is a sign that the remaining uncertainty is genuinely small — one month of data, not a disagreement about method.
| Forecaster | 2027 COLA estimate (vs official 3.6%) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) | 3.5% (−0.1) | Final prediction, Sept 11, 2026 |
| Mary Johnson (independent analyst) | 3.5% (−0.1) | Independent Social Security and Medicare analyst |
| AARP | 3.6% (exact) | Its own forecast, Sept 2026 |
| Kiplinger (economist David Payne) | 3.6% (exact) | Updated Sept 30, 2026 |
| Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget | 3.4% (−0.2) | Estimate published in 2026 |
| FEDweek | 3.5% (−0.1) | Estimate published in 2026 |
The consensus (3.5%) was a tenth low: September’s CPI-W rose more than most expected, landing in the 3.6% band.
TSCL’s path through 2026 shows why the honest headline is a range. Its estimate moved from 2.8% early in the year to 3.9%, then 3.8%, then 3.6%, before settling at a final 3.5% on Sept 11, 2026. Those moves were not errors so much as updates: each revision followed new monthly inflation data, replacing a guess about that month with a fact. By September, two of the three months in the official calculation were known facts, which is why all six forecasters ended up within 0.2 percentage points of each other. You can read the underlying forecasts from TSCL and AARP in full.
How September settled it
The September 2026 CPI-W came in at 330.654, so the third-quarter average was 328.746 against 317.265 in Q3 2025: a 3.62% rise, rounded to 3.6%. (A flat September would have meant 3.4%; 329.047–329.999 would have meant 3.5%.)
How we calculated this: Formula — (average CPI-W for Jul–Sep 2026 ÷ 317.265 − 1) × 100, rounded to the nearest 0.1%. Inputs — BLS CPI-W values for July 2026 (327.104), August 2026 (328.481) and September 2026 (330.654). Those three months average 328.746, which is 3.62% above the Q3 2025 base of 317.265 — hence the official 3.6% COLA. SSA rounds each person’s benefit down to the next dime.
When the 2027 COLA was announced — and when it reaches your check
The announcement and the money arrive on very different schedules, which causes confusion every year. The COLA is announced in October, applied to the benefit for December, and — because Social Security pays a month behind — first seen in checks that arrive in January 2027.
- Announcement: Wednesday, Oct 14, 2026, at about 8:30 a.m. ET, released with the September CPI — the official COLA is 3.6%.
- Your personal figure: COLA notices are posted in the my Social Security message center and mailed in early December, showing your exact new benefit amount.
- Medicare: the final 2027 Medicare Part B premium is announced in November, which is when you can work out your net increase.
- Regular payment dates: the increase applies to December 2026 benefits paid in January 2027 — on Jan 13, 20 or 27, depending on your birth date.
- Earlier payment: SSI recipients and the group paid on the 3rd of the month receive the increased payment on Dec 31, 2026.
You do not need to do anything for any of this to happen. There is no application, no form and no deadline. If you receive Social Security or SSI, the new amount is calculated and paid automatically; the December notice is for your records and for checking, not something you have to respond to.
What you’ll actually keep: Medicare Part B takes part of the raise
The gross gain in the tables above is not quite what lands in your bank account, because most beneficiaries have the Medicare Part B premium deducted from their check. The standard Part B premium is $202.90 a month in 2026. The Medicare Trustees project it will rise to $209.50 for 2027 — an increase of $6.60 a month — with the final figure confirmed in November. Until that announcement, $209.50 is a projection, not a set price, so the net figures below are estimates too.
Estimated net monthly gain at the official 3.6% COLA, after the projected Part B increase
| Current monthly benefit | Gross gain at 3.6% | Projected Part B increase | Estimated net gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1,000 | +$36.00 | −$6.60 | +$29.40 |
| $1,500 | +$54.00 | −$6.60 | +$47.40 |
| $2,087.52 (average retired worker) | +$75.15 | −$6.60 | +$68.55 |
| $3,000 | +$108.00 | −$6.60 | +$101.40 |
The arithmetic is regressive in a quiet way. A flat $6.60 premium increase eats about 18% of the raise on a $1,000 check, but only about 6% of the raise on a $3,000 check, because the premium is the same dollar amount for everyone while the COLA is a percentage. Lower-income beneficiaries therefore keep a smaller share of the headline increase. And to be clear, because it matters for budgeting: every dollar gain shown elsewhere in this post is a gross figure, before Medicare premiums and any tax withholding.
How the COLA is calculated (in brief)
In brief: SSA takes the average CPI-W for July, August and September, compares it with the same quarter a year earlier, and the percentage increase — rounded to the nearest 0.1% and never below 0% — becomes the COLA. For the full explanation, read what a cost-of-living raise is and how it’s set.
Also announced for 2027
| Item | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum taxable earnings (wage base) | $184,500 | $192,300 |
| Retirement earnings-test exempt amount, under full retirement age | $24,480/yr ($2,040/mo) | $25,560/yr ($2,130/mo) |
| Earnings-test exempt amount, year of reaching full retirement age | $65,160/yr ($5,430/mo) | $67,920/yr ($5,660/mo) |
| Maximum monthly benefit at full retirement age | $4,152/mo | $4,188/mo |
| SSI federal payment, individual | $994/mo | $1,029/mo |
| SSI federal payment, couple | $1,491/mo | $1,544/mo |
| Substantial gainful activity (disability), non-blind | $1,690/mo | $1,770/mo |
FAQ
It is 3.6%, announced on Oct 14, 2026 (forecasters had expected 3.4%–3.6%, consensus 3.5%).
Yes, by 3.6%, starting with December 2026 benefits paid in January 2027.
About +$36 a month for every $1,000 of benefit, and about +$75.15 for the average retired worker.
On Oct 14, 2026, with the September CPI.
The increase applies to December 2026 benefits, which are paid in January 2027 (Jan 13, 20 or 27, depending on your birth date). SSI recipients and the group paid on the 3rd of the month receive it on Dec 31, 2026.
Yes. It’s the official adjustment. Your exact new amount appears on your COLA notice in December.
For most people, yes. The standard Part B premium is projected to rise by $6.60 to $209.50 in 2027 (a Medicare Trustees projection, with the final figure in November), so your net gain will be smaller than the gross gain — see the net table above.
Yes. The COLA applies to all Social Security benefit types, including retirement, survivor and disability (SSDI) benefits, and to Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
No. The COLA is automatic. SSA applies it to your benefit and notifies you of your new amount in December; there is no form to file.
SSA compares the average CPI-W for July, August and September with the same quarter a year earlier (317.265 for Q3 2025) and rounds the increase to the nearest 0.1%. Our guide to <a href=”https://checkmyraise.com/cost-of-living-raise/”>what a cost-of-living raise is and how it’s set</a> explains it in full.
Sources
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index — September 2026 (released Oct 14, 2026); Social Security Administration, 2027 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Fact Sheet.
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