Social Security's 2027 COLA

Social Security benefits and Supplemental Security Income payments for 76 million Americans will increase 3.6 percent—or roughly $75 per month—starting in 2027.

If you have an account with “my Social Security,” you can check out the COLA notices online starting in late November. Mailed notices go out in December for those not enrolled in paperless updates. 

By late October or early November, you can expect to hear about 2027 Medicare changes. That’s when Medicare officials will update the Part B premiums and Part A and Part B deductibles. 

^{Source: SSA.gov, October 14, 2026}

The COLA is based on the third-quarter change in the Department of Labor’s Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). Congress enacted automatic COLA provisions as part of the Social Security Amendments of 1972.

For most retirees, Social Security benefits play a key role in their monthly spending. So while the $75 increase may not seem like much, it might help offset any pending changes to Medicare.

If you want more information, please reach out. 

^{SSA.gov, October 14, 2026. Nearly 72 million Social Security beneficiaries will see a 3.6 percent COLA beginning in January 2027. Increased payments to about 7.3 million people receiving SSI will begin on December 31, 2026.}