The Social Security Administration announced a 3.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2027, affecting nearly 72 million beneficiaries of Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance programs. Retirement benefits will increase by an average of $75 per month beginning January 2027. About 7.3 million Supplemental Security Income beneficiaries will receive increased payments starting December 31, 2026.
The annual COLA is calculated by the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers.
Beneficiaries with my Social Security accounts can view their COLA notice online starting in late November, arriving up to three weeks earlier than paper notices sent by mail. Those without an account can create one at www.ssa.gov/myaccount and must enroll in paperless notices by November 18 to receive their notice online. Beneficiaries who do not enroll in paperless notices will receive their COLA notice by mail in December.
Medicare premium information for 2027 will be available through the my Social Security Message Center starting in late November for those enrolled in online messages, or by mail in December.