The 2027 Social Security COLA is here: When will benefits increase?
The Hill · C · trust 62/100
Comments: by Addy Bink and Michael Bartiromo - 10/14/26 10:59 AM ET Comments: Link copied by Addy Bink and Michael Bartiromo - 10/14/26 10:59 AM ET Comments: Link copied NOW PLAYING (NEXSTAR) – Retirees and those who receive Supplemental Security Income from the Social Security Administration now know just how much their benefits will increase next year.
The Social Security Administration on Wednesday announced a 3.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment , or COLA, for its beneficiaries in 2027. It’s the largest hike in four years and one of the largest since 2000 .
On average, beneficiaries will see their monthly retirement benefits increase by about $75 a month, the SSA said.
The Social Security Administration’s annual COLAs are designed to help Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients retain their buying power amid rising inflation. These increases, which are issued annually, are determined using the Bureau of Labor’s Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), which itself is a measure of the change in prices for common consumer goods and services.
The Labor Bureau actually releases a revised CPI-W each month, reflecting the change in prices concerning a number of consumer goods and services, including food, utilities and shelter. But only the data from July, August and September are considered when calculating the annual COLA adjustment for the following year.
This is the sixth consecutive year that the COLA has been at least 2.5%.
It won’t take effect for a few months, though.
The 3.6 percent increase will first impact your January benefits. For some, that payment will come in December.
The Social Security Administration follows a regular payment schedule for all of its beneficiaries. Payments may come earlier than expected if the intended disbursement date falls on a weekend or holiday.
Jan. 1, New Year’s Day, is considered a holiday, meaning the first 2027 payment for those who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) will be paid on Dec. 31, 2026. The same is true for those who received Social Security before May 1997, or receive both Social Security and SSI.
Regardless of when your payment arrives, you will receive the full sum of your expected 2027 benefits.
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