Quick answer: The official 2027 Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is 3.6%, which adds about $36 a month for each $1,000 of a current gross monthly benefit. The increase starts with December 2026 benefits, which are paid in January 2027. The amount that reaches a bank account can be smaller, because the Medicare Part B premium is deducted from most benefits, and the 2027 premium had not been announced when this page was checked.
Data as of November 12, 2026. This is an illustrative calculation, not an SSA benefit quote or personalized financial advice.
2027 Social Security COLA calculator: the 3.6% table
Multiply your current gross monthly benefit by 0.036 to get the increase, then add it to the current benefit. The table uses that simple arithmetic. It excludes Medicare premiums, tax withholding and other deductions, and it ignores SSA’s rounding steps, which can move the result by a few cents to about a dollar.
| Current monthly benefit | Monthly increase (× 0.036) | 2027 gross benefit | Increase over 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1,000 | $36.00 | $1,036.00 | $432.00 |
| $1,250 | $45.00 | $1,295.00 | $540.00 |
| $1,500 | $54.00 | $1,554.00 | $648.00 |
| $2,000 | $72.00 | $2,072.00 | $864.00 |
| $2,500 | $90.00 | $2,590.00 | $1,080.00 |
| $3,000 | $108.00 | $3,108.00 | $1,296.00 |
| $4,000 | $144.00 | $4,144.00 | $1,728.00 |
For context, SSA’s 2027 fact sheet estimates that the average retired-worker benefit payable in January 2027 rises from $2,095 to $2,170, about $75 a month. Averages for other groups: an aged couple with both receiving benefits, $3,238 to $3,355; an aged widow or widower alone, $1,936 to $2,005; all disabled workers, $1,642 to $1,701. These are program averages, not a prediction of any individual’s payment.
Is the 2027 COLA officially 3.6%?
Yes. SSA states that it determined a 3.6% COLA on October 14, 2026. An earlier version of this page, written in September before the third-quarter data were complete, used a 3.5% non-government estimate as a scenario. The official figure came in one-tenth of a point higher, and every number on this page now uses 3.6%.
The adjustment applies to Social Security benefits and to Supplemental Security Income (SSI). SSA says Social Security benefits increase beginning with the December 2026 benefit, payable in January 2027. Federal SSI payments increase for January 2027; because January 1 is a holiday, that SSI payment is made at the end of December. The federal SSI standard rises from $994 to $1,029 a month for an individual and from $1,491 to $1,544 for a couple.
How SSA calculated 3.6%: arithmetic you can redo
The law compares the average CPI-W (the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, published by BLS) for July, August and September with the same quarter of the last year in which a COLA took effect, which was 2025. The result is rounded to the nearest one-tenth of one percent.
| Month | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| July | 316.349 | 327.104 |
| August | 317.306 | 328.481 |
| September | 318.139 | 330.654 |
| Third-quarter average | 317.265 | 328.746 |
- Subtract the averages: 328.746 − 317.265 = 11.481.
- Divide by the 2025 average: 11.481 ÷ 317.265 = 0.03619.
- Convert to a percentage and round to one decimal: 3.619% becomes 3.6%.
The formula uses CPI-W, not the CPI-U headline number, and it compares quarterly averages rather than a single month’s 12-month change. For why a lower inflation rate does not mean lower prices, see our explainer on why prices stay high when inflation falls.
Step by step: from the COLA to your deposit
SSA does not multiply last year’s deposit by 1.036. Its published method works in this order:
- Raise the primary insurance amount (PIA). The PIA is the base benefit at full retirement age. It is multiplied by 1.036 and truncated to the next lower dime. SSA’s own example: $2,197.50 × 1.036 = $2,276.61, which becomes $2,276.60.
- Apply the claiming-age factor. A reduction for claiming early, or a credit for delaying, is applied to the new PIA, and the result is again truncated to the next lower dime.
- Subtract offsets. The Medicare Part B premium is the most common one.
- Truncate to the next lower dollar.
Because of these steps, SSA notes that the change in a monthly payment “may differ somewhat” from the COLA percentage. A difference of a dollar or so from the table above is normal and is not an error.
Worked example: $2,000 benefit with the Part B deduction
As of November 12, 2026, CMS has not announced the 2027 Medicare Part B premium. The CMS newsroom and Medicare.gov still list 2026 amounts only; last year’s announcement was dated November 14, 2025. The confirmed 2026 standard premium is $202.90 a month, up $17.90 from $185.00 in 2025. The example below therefore shows the method, with the 2026 premium as a known starting point and the 2027 premium left as a variable.
- 2026 net: $2,000.00 − $202.90 = $1,797.10, paid as $1,797 after truncation.
- 2027 gross: $2,000.00 × 1.036 = $2,072.00.
- 2027 net: $2,072.00 − (2027 Part B premium), truncated to the dollar.
- Net monthly change, before truncation: $72.00 − (2027 premium − $202.90).
Each additional dollar of Part B premium removes one dollar from the net increase. The 2026 Medicare Trustees Report projects a 2027 standard premium of $209.50, an increase of $6.60; that is a projection, not the final rate. Using it for illustration, the net change would be $72.00 − $6.60 = $65.40. For a $1,000 benefit the same projection would leave $36.00 − $6.60 = $29.40. Higher-income beneficiaries pay income-related surcharges on top of the standard premium, and Part D or Medicare Advantage plan premiums and tax withholding can also be deducted. We track the announcement on our 2027 Part B premium page.
Other confirmed 2027 figures that move with the announcement
- Taxable maximum: $192,300, up from $184,500. See our 2027 Social Security tax limit breakdown.
- Earnings test, under full retirement age: $25,560 a year ($2,130 a month), up from $24,480.
- Earnings test, year of reaching full retirement age: $67,920 ($5,660 a month), up from $65,160.
- Maximum benefit for a worker retiring at full retirement age: $4,188 a month, up from $4,152.
The taxable maximum and earnings-test limits are indexed to national average wages, not to the CPI-W, so they do not rise by 3.6%.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the 3.6% COLA add to a $2,000 benefit?
3.6% of $2,000 is $72, for a gross monthly amount of about $2,072 before Medicare premiums and other deductions. SSA’s rounding can change the paid amount slightly.
When does the increase arrive?
SSA applies the COLA to December 2026 benefits, which are payable in January 2027. The increased SSI payment for January is issued at the end of December 2026.
Why might my increase be less than 3.6%?
The COLA is applied to the gross benefit. If the Medicare Part B premium deducted from the benefit rises in 2027, the net deposit grows by less. Truncation to the dime and then to the dollar also trims small amounts.
Is the 2027 Part B premium known?
Not as of November 12, 2026. CMS had published only 2026 figures ($202.90 standard premium, $283 annual deductible). Treat any 2027 premium quoted elsewhere as a projection until CMS publishes it.
Sources
- SSA, Latest Cost-of-Living Adjustment (formula and CPI-W table): https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/latestCOLA.html
- SSA, Cost-of-Living Adjustment summary (determination date): https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/colasummary.html
- SSA, 2027 COLA Fact Sheet: https://www.ssa.gov/news/en/cola/factsheets/2027.html
- SSA, Application of COLA to a Retirement Benefit (rounding steps): https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/colaapplic.html
- CMS, 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles: https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/2026-medicare-parts-b-premiums-deductibles
- CMS, 2026 Medicare Trustees Report (Table V.E2, projected 2027 Part B premium): https://www.cms.gov/oact/tr/2026
- Medicare.gov, Costs (checked for 2027 amounts): https://www.medicare.gov/basics/costs/medicare-costs
- BLS, Consumer Price Index (CPI-W source data): https://www.bls.gov/cpi/
Disclosure: Educational information only; not individualized retirement, tax, or investment advice. Table amounts are simple arithmetic on gross benefits, not an official benefit notice. Your SSA COLA notice or my Social Security account shows your actual 2027 amount.