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Social Security COLA 2027: 3.6%

Social Security benefits go up 3.6% in 2027, about $75 a month for the average retiree, starting with the January 2027 payment. SSI rises with the December 31, 2026 payment. Source: Social Security Administration, October 14, 2026.

Your new benefit

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It's on your 2026 COLA notice or in my Social Security. If you only know your deposit and Part B comes out of your check, add $202.90.

Your 2026 benefit before deductions times 1.036. Social Security rounds your payment down to the whole dollar after Medicare and other deductions come out, so your deposit can be up to $1 lower. The standard Medicare Part B premium for 2027, which comes out of most checks, hasn't been announced yet; it was $202.90 a month in 2026. If your premium comes out of your check, the hold-harmless rule stops a premium increase from shrinking your net payment (not if you pay the higher-income IRMAA surcharge). SSI works differently: if your other income stays the same, your federal SSI goes up by $35 a month ($53 for a couple), up to $1,029 ($1,544). Many states add a supplement.

2027 Social Security numbers

Item20272026
Cost-of-living adjustment3.6%2.8%
Taxable maximum (wages taxed)$192,300$184,500
Earnings limit before full retirement age$25,560 a year ($2,130 a month)$24,480
Earnings limit in the year you reach full retirement age$67,920 a year ($5,660 a month)$65,160
Maximum benefit at full retirement age$4,188 a month$4,152
Earnings for one work credit$1,970$1,890
SSI federal payment, individual / couple$1,029 / $1,544 a month$994 / $1,491

Before full retirement age, $1 of benefits is held back for every $2 you earn over the limit. In the year you reach full retirement age, it's $1 for every $3 over the higher limit, counting only what you earn before the month you reach full retirement age (67 if you were born in 1960 or later). From full retirement age on there's no limit.

Only wages and net self-employment income count, not pensions, IRA withdrawals or investment income. Withheld benefits aren't lost: at full retirement age, Social Security raises your monthly benefit to make up for the months it held back. In your first year of benefits, you get a full check for any month you earn $2,130 or less, whatever you earn for the year.

When the increase arrives

  • Social Security: with your January 2027 payment. If you're normally paid on the 3rd, that payment arrives early, on Thursday, December 31, 2026, because January 3 is a Sunday and January 1 is a holiday.
  • SSI: with the payment on December 31, 2026. That deposit is your January SSI payment, paid early because January 1 is a holiday; there's no second SSI payment in January.
  • Your notice: by mail in December, or up to three weeks earlier in the Message Center of your my Social Security account if you choose online notices by November 18, 2026.

The increase is automatic. The SSA's Inspector General warns that anyone asking you to sign up or pay to "activate" the COLA is running a scam. Most people are paid on the second, third or fourth Wednesday of the month, depending on their birthday; some, including many who started benefits before May 1997 or also get SSI, are paid on the 3rd.

Taxes on Social Security

Up to 85% of your benefits can be taxable if your other income is high enough. The new $6,000 senior deduction for people 65 and older (2025 through 2028) lowers or erases the tax for many retirees (it shrinks above $75,000 of income, $150,000 married filing jointly; each spouse 65 or older gets one); see how it works with Social Security.

Common questions

What is the Social Security COLA for 2027? 3.6%. The Social Security Administration announced it on October 14, 2026. Retirement benefits rise by about $75 a month on average, starting with the January 2027 payment.

When will I get the 2027 increase? Social Security benefits go up with the payment you receive in January 2027; if you're normally paid on the 3rd, it arrives early, on December 31, 2026. SSI goes up with the December 31, 2026 payment, which is your January SSI payment paid early. You don't need to apply or register; the increase is automatic.

How much will my check go up? Multiply your current benefit, before any Medicare deduction, by 1.036. A $2,000 benefit becomes about $2,072. Your actual deposit also depends on the 2027 Medicare Part B premium, which is taken out of most checks and hasn't been announced yet (the standard premium was $202.90 a month in 2026).

What else changes in 2027? Wages up to $192,300 are subject to Social Security tax, up from $184,500. If you work before full retirement age, the earnings limit is $25,560 a year ($67,920 in the year you reach full retirement age). The maximum benefit at full retirement age is $4,188 a month, and one credit takes $1,970 of earnings.

Is my Social Security taxable? Up to 85% of benefits can be taxable, depending on your other income. From 2025 through 2028, people 65 and older can also take the new $6,000 senior deduction, which lowers the tax for many retirees. It shrinks above $75,000 of income ($150,000 married filing jointly).

Published November 6, 2026. Source: Social Security Administration, "Social Security Announces 3.6 Percent Benefit Increase for 2027" (October 14, 2026) and the 2027 COLA Fact Sheet; SSA Office of the Chief Actuary, SSI Federal Payment Amounts for 2027.