The Social Security Administration’s own COLA page, ssa.gov/cola, still shows the 2.8% raise for 2026 as we write. The 2027 figure is due on 14 October 2026, at 8:30 AM Eastern, when September inflation data arrives. Until SSA posts it, any other number you see online is a guess.
This page uses only official figures: SSA, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and OPM. We do not print estimates. You get the exact formula, the official base number, the last five raises and the FERS, disability and SSI rules. The 2027 percentage stays blank here until SSA publishes it.
In this article
- Quick answer
- What the 2027 COLA is
- 2027 COLA timeline and update
- The formula, step by step
- Social Security COLA increase chart
- Dollar examples
- Projected COLA for 2027
- FERS COLA 2027
- Disability and SSI
- Common mistakes
- What to do on announcement day
- Our opinion and suggestions
- FAQs
Quick answer: what is the 2027 COLA?
What the 2027 COLA is, in plain words
COLA stands for cost-of-living adjustment. It is a yearly raise that helps Social Security and SSI payments keep up with prices. SSA says automatic yearly COLAs began in 1975. The COLA runs on a fixed formula in the law, not on a vote.
Think of it as a ruler. Prices went up by some amount over the year. The COLA moves your check by about the same amount.
One naming trap: people call the raise paid in January 2026 the “2026 COLA”. SSA’s history table files that same 2.8% under 2025, the year it takes effect for December benefits.
2027 COLA timeline and update
| When | What happens | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| 14 Oct 2026, 8:30 AM ET | SSA plans to announce the 2027 COLA; September CPI-W comes out the same morning | Reported by Gray News and Motley Fool |
| Mid-Nov 2026 | Medicare Part B premium usually announced | Motley Fool says “typically” |
| Late Nov to Dec 2026 | COLA notice: in 2025 SSA put notices in the my Social Security Message Center in late November and mailed them later | SSA COLA page (2026 pattern) |
| Jan 2027 | New amounts appear in Social Security payments | SSA 2026 pattern |
Update status, 14 October 2026: We checked SSA’s COLA page (ssa.gov/cola) and its latest-COLA page while writing. Both still showed the 2.8% raise for 2026 as the newest. We will refresh this article once SSA posts the 2027 number.
How SSA works out the number, step by step
SSA uses the CPI-W. That is the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publishes it every month.
- Take the CPI-W for July, August and September 2026. Average the three.
- Compare it with the same average from the last COLA year, 2025. That base is 317.265.
- Work out the percentage rise. Round to the nearest tenth of one percent.
- If the rise rounds to zero, or prices fell, there is no COLA that year.
| CPI-W month | 2025 (official base) | 2026 (published by BLS) |
|---|---|---|
| July | 316.349 | See bls.gov |
| August | 317.306 | See bls.gov |
| September | 318.139 | Due 14 Oct 2026 |
| Average of the three | 317.265 | Average, then divide by 317.265 |
The 2025 figures come from SSA’s latest-COLA page. You can check the 2027 result yourself: add the three 2026 months, divide by three, divide by 317.265, subtract 1, multiply by 100, and round to one decimal.
Worked example using last year’s real numbers. The Q3 2024 average was 308.729. The Q3 2025 average was 317.265. The gap is 8.536. Divide by 308.729 and you get 2.76%, which rounds to 2.8%.
Social Security COLA increase chart: the last five raises
Raises jumped to 8.7% for 2023 after the price surge. They then cooled to 3.2%, 2.5% and 2.8%. That 8.7% is the biggest figure in SSA’s table since 1981.
What a COLA does to $1,000 to $2,500 a month
We cannot fill the 2027 column yet. So the table shows the real 2026 rate of 2.8% as a worked example. Multiply your monthly benefit by 1.028 to get the new amount. For 2027, swap in the official percentage once SSA posts it.
| Monthly benefit | Raise at 2.8% (2026 example) | New amount (example) | 2027 raise |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1,000 | +$28 | $1,028 | [not yet announced] |
| $1,500 | +$42 | $1,542 | [not yet announced] |
| $2,000 | +$56 | $2,056 | [not yet announced] |
| $2,500 | +$70 | $2,570 | [not yet announced] |
The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare puts the 2026 average raise at $56 a month per beneficiary. Your own check will differ. Part B premiums, taxes and rounding all change what lands in your bank.
Is there a projected COLA for 2027? What is official and what is not
SSA does not publish a forecast. It publishes one number, once a year, after BLS releases the September CPI-W. Everything before that day comes from outside groups, news sites and calculators, and it can be wrong.
| Item | Official? | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 COLA percentage | Yes, once posted | ssa.gov/cola |
| Base number 317.265 | Yes | ssa.gov/oact/cola/latestCOLA.html |
| September 2026 CPI-W | Yes, from BLS | bls.gov |
| “Projected” or “estimated” COLA on blogs | No | Not an SSA number |
| FERS COLA for 2027 | Yes, from OPM | opm.gov |
FERS COLA 2027: why federal retirees get a different number
FERS stands for Federal Employees Retirement System. Its COLA comes from OPM, the Office of Personnel Management, not from SSA. Both start from the same CPI-W rise, but FERS trims it when prices climb faster.
| CPI-W rise | CSRS COLA | FERS COLA |
|---|---|---|
| 2% or less | Full rise | Full rise |
| Above 2% up to 3% | Full rise | 2.0% |
| Above 3% | Full rise | Rise minus 1 point |
Real examples from earlier years: the CRS reports 8.7% for CSRS and 7.7% for FERS in 2023, and 3.2% against 2.2% in 2024. AFGE lists 2.5% against 2.0% for 2025.
Most FERS retirees also get no COLA before age 62. OPM lists exceptions for disability and survivor benefits. Wait for OPM’s own notice for the 2027 FERS rate.
Social Security COLA 2027 for disability and SSI
SSA applies one COLA to Social Security benefits, which include disability insurance, and to SSI payments. So SSDI recipients get the same percentage as retirees. SSI has its own payment standard, which rises by the same percent.
| Item | 2025 amount | 2026 amount | What caused the change |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSI, one person (monthly) | $967 | $994 | 2.8% COLA |
| SSI, couple (monthly) | $1,450 | $1,491 | 2.8% COLA |
| Maximum taxable earnings (yearly) | $176,100 | $184,500 | National average wage index, not the COLA |
| Maximum benefit at full retirement age (monthly) | $4,018 | $4,152 | Benefit formula and wage index, not the COLA |
The 2026 earnings test limits were $24,480 a year for people under full retirement age and $65,160 in the year they reach it. The 2027 versions are [not yet announced]. January SSI money is paid at the end of the previous December when 1 January is a holiday.
Common mistakes people make with the COLA
- Treating an estimate as the final number and budgeting on it.
- Forgetting that Medicare Part B is usually taken from the check, which can shrink the raise.
- Mixing up year labels. The raise paid in January 2027 is the “2027 COLA” in news, but SSA’s table files it under 2026.
- Assuming FERS pensions get the full percentage.
- Trusting a look-alike site. Official SSA pages end in .gov.
What to do on announcement day
- Open ssa.gov/cola and read the official percentage.
- Multiply your monthly benefit by one plus the percentage.
- Wait for the Part B premium (usually mid-November), then subtract it.
- Look for your personal COLA notice in my Social Security (late November online, mail later).
- If you are a federal retiree, check OPM for your FERS or CSRS rate.
Our opinion and suggestions (not a buy or sell call)
| Type of reader | A simple way to think |
|---|---|
| Retiree on Social Security | Wait for the official percentage, then subtract Part B to see the real change. |
| Disability or SSI recipient | Same percentage applies; read your notice for the exact new amount. |
| Federal (FERS) retiree | Use OPM’s figure, not SSA’s. The reduction rule only bites above 2%. |
| Still working, under full retirement age | Check the new earnings test limit if you plan to claim early. |
Things to watch before you decide anything: 14 October for the SSA percentage, mid-November for Part B, early December for your notice, and January for the first payment.
What would make us more relaxed: an official figure that clearly beats your Part B change. What would make us more careful: a Part B jump big enough to eat most of the raise, or a rise above 3%, which widens the FERS gap.
Other suggestions: keep a small cash buffer for the months before the raise shows up. Read the SSA notice, not social media. Check tax withholding. Talk to a benefits counsellor or tax adviser if your case is unusual.
What to track every year
- The September CPI-W release date on the BLS calendar.
- SSA’s fact sheet for new earnings limits and taxable maximum.
- The Medicare Part B premium notice.
- OPM’s annual COLA letter for federal annuities.
Key terms in simple words
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| COLA | Yearly raise that follows prices |
| CPI-W | Price index for wage earners and clerical workers |
| BLS | Bureau of Labor Statistics, the CPI-W publisher |
| SSA | Social Security Administration |
| OPM | Office of Personnel Management, which runs federal pensions |
| FERS | Federal pension plan for staff hired from 1984 |
| CSRS | Older federal pension plan |
| SSDI | Disability insurance paid from work history |
| SSI | Cash help for low-income people |
| Part B | Medicare medical insurance premium |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Social Security 2027 COLA?
It is the raise SSA gives to benefits for 2027. The figure is [OFFICIAL FIGURE: not yet announced] as we write. It follows the CPI-W rise from the third quarter of 2025 to the third quarter of 2026.
When will SSA announce the 2027 COLA?
News reports say 14 October 2026 at 8:30 AM ET, the same morning as September inflation data. SSA’s own page only says October.
What is the projected COLA for 2027?
SSA does not publish a projection, so there is no official projected figure. The only official number is the COLA that SSA posts on ssa.gov/cola after the September CPI-W. We do not print outside guesses.
What is the SSA COLA 2027 estimate update?
SSA gives no estimate updates. Outside groups change their guesses from month to month. The official update is the single figure on ssa.gov/cola, so check there.
Is there a Social Security 2027 COLA increase chart or PDF?
SSA posts a yearly fact sheet at ssa.gov/cola. We have not confirmed a 2027 PDF yet. Our chart above shows the last five raises; the 2027 bar stays blank until SSA publishes.
What was the Social Security 2026 COLA increase?
It was 2.8%, announced 24 October 2025. SSA said about 75 million Americans would get it from January 2026.
When will the 2027 COLA show in my payment?
It applies to December 2026 benefits, which are paid in January 2027. SSA also sends a personal notice. In 2025 it was available online in late November and arrived by mail later.
What is the FERS COLA for 2027?
OPM sets it. At 2% or less it matches the CPI-W rise, between 2% and 3% it is 2%, above 3% it is the rise minus one point. We do not give a 2027 number until OPM does.
Will Social Security disability and SSI get the 2027 COLA?
Yes. SSA applies one COLA to Social Security, which includes disability insurance, and to SSI. SSI is paid at the end of December when 1 January is a holiday.
Where can I check the official 2027 COLA?
Go to ssa.gov/cola. Look for the heading “Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Information for 2027” and a percentage. Ignore sites that do not end in .gov, and sign in to my Social Security for your personal notice.
How we prepared this article
We read SSA’s COLA history and latest-COLA pages, OPM’s COLA FAQ, a CRS report and news roundups, all on 14 October 2026. Data is dated where shown. Estimates are labelled. We update after SSA publishes, and you can tell us about errors. This page is education only and not government advice.
Conclusion
The Social Security Administration 2027 COLA is a formula result, and SSA publishes it today. Until then the only firm numbers are the 317.265 base and last year’s 2.8%. We will fill the blanks when the official figure lands.
Official channels to follow on announcement day
SSA posts its news in more than one place. These are the official ones. Open them directly, not through a link in a message or a forwarded post.
| Channel | What it gives you | Link |
|---|---|---|
| SSA COLA page | The official percentage and 2027 amounts | ssa.gov/cola |
| SSA press releases | The announcement text and date | ssa.gov/news |
| SSA Press Office on X | The announcement post (handle listed on ssa.gov) | @SSAPress |
| BLS CPI release | The September CPI-W numbers used in the formula | bls.gov/cpi |
| OPM retirement | The FERS and CSRS COLA for federal retirees | opm.gov retirement |
Related reading
More on American markets: US stocks on SharePriceHub.
Sources
- SSA: COLA information page
- SSA: Latest Cost-of-Living Adjustment
- SSA: COLA history table
- SSA: 2026 COLA fact sheet
- OPM: how the COLA is determined
- Motley Fool via Webull: COLA announcement date
- Gray News: 2027 benefit forecast
- NCPSSM: fast facts
Data as of 14 October 2026, before the official 2027 COLA figure was posted on ssa.gov. Base data from SSA. Last reviewed 14 October 2026.
