Updated October 11, 2026. This post will be updated on October 14 with the official figure.
The short answer
- Announcement date: Wednesday, October 14, 2026, the morning the September CPI comes out (8:30 a.m. ET).
- Expected 2027 COLA: about 3.3% to 3.6%, most likely 3.4% or 3.5%, based on official July and August inflation data.
- When it’s paid: January 2027 Social Security payments. SSI rises with the December 31, 2026 payment.
- Last year: 2.8% for 2026, so 2027 is on track for a bigger raise.
For about 75 million Americans who get Social Security or Supplemental Security Income, one number decides how much bigger their checks get next year: the cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA. The Social Security 2027 COLA announcement is now days away, and the inflation data that decides it is almost complete. Here is the date, the math, and what the raise could mean for your monthly check.
When is the 2027 COLA announcement?
The COLA is set by law, not by a vote. It is based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) for July, August and September. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is scheduled to publish September’s CPI on Wednesday, October 14, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern, and the Social Security Administration normally announces the new COLA the same morning.
Last year was the exception: the 2026 COLA of 2.8% was announced on October 24, 2025, after the government shutdown delayed the inflation report. With no shutdown this year, October 14 is the date to watch.
How the 2027 COLA is calculated
The formula is simple. Take the average CPI-W for July, August and September 2026 and compare it with the same three months of 2025. The percentage increase, rounded to one decimal place, is the COLA.
| Month | CPI-W 2025 | CPI-W 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| July | 316.349 | 327.104 | +3.40% |
| August | 317.306 | 328.481 | +3.52% |
| September | 318.139 | Released Oct 14 | — |
| 3-month average | 317.265 | — | Decides the COLA |
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-W series CWUR0000SA0, not seasonally adjusted.
Two of the three months are already in. July was 3.4% above last year and August 3.5% above. That leaves September as the only unknown, and it would take a big swing to move the result far from 3.4% or 3.5%.
2027 COLA forecast: what September could do
| If September CPI-W changes by… | 2027 COLA would be |
|---|---|
| −0.2% from August | 3.3% |
| No change from August | 3.4% |
| +0.1% | 3.4% |
| +0.2% to +0.4% | 3.5% |
| +0.5% | 3.6% |
Independent forecasts agree. The Senior Citizens League projects 3.5%, AARP 3.6%, and analyst Mary Johnson around 3.5%, with oil prices the main wildcard. Any of these would be the biggest raise since the 3.2% COLA for 2024.
What the 2027 COLA means for your check
To estimate your own raise, multiply your current monthly benefit by the COLA. Here is what different benefits would gain each month:
| Current monthly benefit | At 3.3% | At 3.4% | At 3.5% | At 3.6% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,500 | +$49.50 | +$51.00 | +$52.50 | +$54.00 |
| $2,000 | +$66.00 | +$68.00 | +$70.00 | +$72.00 |
| $2,071 (average retired worker) | +$68.34 | +$70.41 | +$72.48 | +$74.56 |
| $2,500 | +$82.50 | +$85.00 | +$87.50 | +$90.00 |
| $3,000 | +$99.00 | +$102.00 | +$105.00 | +$108.00 |
Social Security rounds benefits down to the nearest dime, so actual amounts can differ by a few cents.
Don’t forget Medicare Part B
For most retirees, the Medicare Part B premium comes straight out of their Social Security check. The 2026 Medicare Trustees Report projects the standard premium rising from $202.90 to about $209.50 a month in 2027, and the annual deductible from $283 to $292. That would take about $6.60 a month back out of the raise. The official 2027 premium is usually announced by Medicare in November, and your Social Security COLA notice arrives in your my Social Security account in early December.
Recent Social Security COLAs
| Year | COLA |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 8.7% |
| 2024 | 3.2% |
| 2025 | 2.5% |
| 2026 | 2.8% |
| 2027 | About 3.3%–3.6% (forecast) |
Automatic COLAs began in 1975. Before that, Congress had to vote on every increase. The program itself dates back to August 14, 1935, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act.
What to do before October 14
- Check your current benefit in your my Social Security account at ssa.gov so you can work out your raise as soon as the COLA is announced.
- Plan for Medicare. Budget for a slightly higher Part B premium so the raise doesn’t look smaller than expected.
- Watch for scams. Social Security will never call, text or email to ask for payment, gift cards or your full Social Security number to “unlock” a COLA. The increase is automatic.
Frequently asked questions
When will the 2027 Social Security COLA be announced?
The Social Security Administration is expected to announce the 2027 COLA on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, the morning the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases the September 2026 Consumer Price Index at 8:30 a.m. Eastern. September is the last month of data in the formula, so the figure can be calculated that morning.
How much will the 2027 COLA be?
It is not official until October 14. Using the official CPI-W for July and August 2026, the 2027 COLA works out to about 3.3% to 3.6%, with 3.4% or 3.5% most likely. Forecasts from The Senior Citizens League (3.5%) and AARP (3.6%) fall in the same range. That would be the largest raise since 2024 and higher than the 2.8% COLA for 2026.
When does the 2027 COLA show up in my check?
Social Security retirement, survivor and disability benefits rise with the January 2027 payment. People who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) normally see the increase in the payment dated December 31, 2026, because January 1 is a holiday.
How much more will I get per month?
Multiply your current monthly benefit by the COLA. At 3.5%, a $2,000 benefit rises by about $70 a month, and the average retired worker’s benefit of about $2,071 rises by about $72. At 3.3% the same average benefit rises by about $68.
Will Medicare take part of the raise?
Probably some of it. The 2026 Medicare Trustees Report projects the standard Part B premium rising from $202.90 to about $209.50 a month in 2027. The premium is usually deducted from Social Security, so most people’s net raise will be a few dollars smaller than the COLA alone. The official 2027 premium is announced by Medicare later in the fall.
Photo credits: US Capitol sunset by the Office of the Architect of the Capitol (public domain). Couple walking by pasja1000 and grandparents by sylviebliss, both via Pixabay (CC0). “Fall Foliage Woodstock, Vermont” by Anthony Quintano, licensed CC BY 2.0. Signing of the Social Security Act, Library of Congress (public domain). All via Wikimedia Commons.
Data: US Bureau of Labor Statistics (CPI-W), Social Security Administration, 2026 Medicare Trustees Report. Forecasts are estimates and the official COLA is set by the Social Security Administration. This post is general information, not financial advice.