Official · SSA announced

Official 2027 Social Security COLA: 3.6%

The official 2027 Social Security COLA is 3.6% for benefits paid starting in January 2027. This guide explains the CPI-W calculation, timing, and Medicare Part B interaction while preserving the earlier independent projections for comparison; it does not calculate an individual benefit or promise how much of the adjustment a beneficiary will keep after deductions.

Status as of October 14, 2026 · Official release verified

Updated October 18, 2026Reviewed for 2027 benefit yearEdited by Adam Khale

The official 2027 Social Security COLA is 3.6%, applying to benefits paid starting January 2027. The 2026 COLA was 2.8%.

Official 2027 COLA: 3.6%.
Pre-announcement projections stood at 3.5%.
SSA announcement verified October 14, 2026.
2026 COLA (current, for comparison): 2.8%.
The COLA is calculated from average CPI-W for July, August, and September 2026 vs. the same quarter of 2025.

Source: Social Security Announces 3.6 Percent Benefit Increase for 2027 (SSA press release, October 14, 2026)

Pre-announcement 2027 COLA projections #

Each card preserves an independent pre-announcement estimate so you can compare it with SSA's official result.

The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) #

As of 2026-09-11

3.5%

September estimate: 3.5%, down from 3.6% in August, following the August CPI release.

Primary source

As of 2026-09-11

3.5%

September estimate: 3.5%, up from 3.4% in August, reported by CNBC on September 11, 2026.

Primary source

How the COLA is actually calculated #

The Social Security COLA equals the percentage increase in the average CPI-W (Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers) for July, August, and September 2026 over the same quarter of 2025.

For comparison, the current 2026 COLA is 2.8%.

Will you actually keep it? #

For most retirees, the Medicare Part B premium — announced by CMS each fall — is deducted directly from the Social Security check. When the Part B premium rises, it absorbs part (sometimes most) of the gross COLA. High-income beneficiaries also pay IRMAA surcharges on top of the base Part B premium, which reduces the net raise further.

Your real 2027 raise after Medicare Part B #

Enter your monthly Social Security benefit before Medicare is taken out. The calculator applies the 2027 COLA the way SSA rounds it, subtracts the 2027 Part B premium, and checks whether the hold-harmless rule limits your premium increase.

Your monthly Social Security benefit now (before Medicare is taken out)

Use the amount before deductions, not the deposit you receive. $2,000 is only an example.

Is your Medicare Part B premium taken out of your Social Security payment?

Most people's is. If your Part B starts in 2027, answer for 2027.

Yes

Hold-harmless questions #

These decide whether the law can limit your premium increase.

Do you pay a higher Part B premium because of your income (IRMAA)?

For 2027, Social Security bases this on your 2025 tax return and tells you in a letter if you owe it.

Yes

Does your Medicare Part B start in 2027?

Yes

At the end of 2026, is your Part B premium paid some other way instead of coming out of your Social Security?

For example, you get a bill from Medicare, or your state's Medicaid program pays it, for the Social Security payment you get in December 2026.

Yes

Change in your monthly deposit in 2027

+$65

$1,797 now to $1,862 starting January 2027. Before Social Security drops the cents from your payment: +$65.40.

2027 benefit before Medicare: $2,072 (+$72 at 3.6%)
Your 2027 Part B premium: $209.50
Part B increase from $202.90: +$6.60
Does hold-harmless limit your increase?: No

You qualify for the hold-harmless rule, but it does not change your premium: your COLA increase (+$72) is large enough to absorb the Part B increase, so you pay the standard premium.

2027 COLA: 3.6%, announced by SSA on October 14, 2026 (Social Security Announces 3.6 Percent Benefit Increase for 2027 (SSA press release, October 14, 2026)).

Projected 2027 Part B premium, not official: $209.50 a month, the Medicare Trustees’ estimate, up from $202.90 in 2026. CMS announces the binding premium, in recent years between late September and mid-November, and it can land on either side of the estimate (2026 Annual Report of the Medicare Boards of Trustees).

How this is rounded: SSA rounds a raised benefit down to the next dime, then takes out the Part B premium and rounds the payment down to the whole dollar (42 U.S.C. §415(i) and §415(g); SSA POMS RS 00601.020). SSA applies the COLA to your primary insurance amount, so if you claimed early its figure can differ from this one by a few cents. Part D or Medicare Advantage premiums, tax withholding and other deductions are not included, and SSA sets the exact hold-harmless premium.

The hold-harmless rule in plain English, and the law itself

The rule protects you only if all of these are true:

You get Social Security for November and December 2026.
Your Part B premium comes out of those benefits (the payments you receive in December 2026 and January 2027).
You do not pay the income-related surcharge (IRMAA) for January 2027.

If they are, your Part B premium cannot rise by more than it takes to keep your January 2027 payment, after the premium, from falling below your December 2026 payment. Social Security applies it by reducing the premium so that the January check equals the December check (SSA POMS HI 01001.004). A late-enrollment penalty is added on top of the reduced premium.

“For any calendar year after 1988, if an individual is entitled to monthly benefits under section 402 or 423 of this title or to a monthly annuity under section 3(a), 4(a), or 4(f) of the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 [45 U.S.C. 231b(a), 231c(a), (f)] for November and December of the preceding year, if the monthly premium of the individual under this section for December and for January is deducted from those benefits under section 1395s(a)(1) of this title or section 1395s(b)(1) of this title, and if the amount of the individual’s premium is not adjusted for such January under subsection (i), the monthly premium otherwise determined under this section for an individual for that year shall not be increased, pursuant to this subsection, to the extent that such increase would reduce the amount of benefits payable to that individual for that December below the amount of benefits payable to that individual for that November (after the deduction of the premium under this section). For purposes of this subsection, retroactive adjustments or payments and deductions on account of work shall not be taken into account in determining the monthly benefits to which an individual is entitled under section 402 or 423 of this title or under the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 [45 U.S.C. 231 et seq.]. Any increase in the premium for an individual who was enrolled under section 1395o(b) of this title attributable to such individual otherwise enrolling under this part shall not be taken into account in applying this subsection.”
— 42 U.S.C. §1395r(f) (Social Security Act §1839(f))

Frequently asked questions #

The official 2027 Social Security COLA is 3.6%.

When is the 2027 COLA announced? #

SSA announced the 2027 COLA on October 14, 2026. The increase applies to benefits paid starting January 2027.

How is the COLA calculated? #

The COLA equals the percentage increase in the average CPI-W (Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers) for July, August, and September 2026 over the same three months of 2025. If there is no increase, the COLA is 0% — benefits are never reduced.

Does the COLA apply to SSI? #

Yes — SSI receives the same COLA. SSI is paid on the 1st of each month, or the business day before when the 1st is a weekend or holiday. Because January 1, 2027 is a holiday, the first payment at the 2027 rate arrives Thursday, December 31, 2026.

Compare these figures with other limits in the 2027 tax numbers ledger.

Sources & References #

Primary references used for this content

SSA
Cost-of-Living Adjustment
Official COLA announcements and history
View on ssa.gov
Publication 915
Social Security and Equivalent Railroad Retirement Benefits
The worksheet that determines taxable benefits
View on irs.gov
42 U.S.C. §1395r(f)
Limitation on increase in monthly premium (the hold-harmless rule)
42 U.S.C. §1395r(f) (Social Security Act §1839(f))
View on law.cornell.edu
SSA POMS HI 01001.004
The Variable Supplementary Medical Insurance (VSMI) Premium
Social Security Administration, POMS HI 01001.004
View on secure.ssa.gov
42 U.S.C. §415(g)
Rounding of benefits: payment rounded down to the dollar after Part B
42 U.S.C. §415(g) (Social Security Act §215(g))
View on law.cornell.edu
SSA POMS RS 00601.020
Rounding of Benefits
Social Security Administration, POMS RS 00601.020
View on secure.ssa.gov

✓ 6 primary sources; links re-checked on a weekly rotation by the source watcher

Disclaimer: This calculator provides estimates for educational purposes only. Not tax, legal, or financial advice. Results may vary based on your specific circumstances. Consult a qualified CPA or tax professional for personalized guidance.

What will the 2027 Social Security COLA be? #