The Social Security Administration said nearly 72 million beneficiaries will get a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment in 2027, an average of about $75 more per month for retirement benefits.
Increased payments for about 7.3 million SSI recipients begin Dec. 31, 2026. Most other Social Security checks rise with the January payment cycle. Roughly 76 million people receive Social Security, SSI or both.
The COLA is tied by law to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers. September’s CPI report showed prices up 3.7% over the past year, driven heavily by gasoline and energy costs linked to the Iran war.
Account holders can view their personalized COLA notice in my Social Security starting in late November if they enroll in paperless notices by Nov. 18. Others get a mail notice in December. Medicare premium details for 2027 will post at medicare.gov.
Sources: Social Security Administration, Reuters via Devdiscourse, NPR. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: SSA / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
