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Millions of Social Security beneficiaries are waiting for the next cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), which will determine how much their benefits could increase in 2027. The annual adjustment is designed to help Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits keep pace with inflation.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has already confirmed when the next COLA will be announced. The 2027 adjustment will be determined using inflation data from the third quarter of 2026.
What Is the Social Security COLA?
The Social Security COLA is an annual increase in benefits intended to account for changes in the cost of living. The adjustment has been used since 1975 and is established under federal law.
The COLA applies to Social Security benefits and SSI payments. Its purpose is to help beneficiaries maintain their purchasing power as the prices of goods and services change over time.
The adjustment is not a fixed increase. Instead, the percentage changes each year depending on the inflation data used in the calculation.
When Will the Social Security COLA 2027 Be Announced?
The SSA has confirmed that it will announce the 2027 COLA in October 2026. The agency typically makes the announcement once the inflation data needed for the calculation is available.
The amount is determined using the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), which is calculated monthly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Under the Social Security Act, the calculation compares the average CPI-W for the third quarter of the current year with the average for the third quarter of the last year in which a COLA became effective.
For the 2027 COLA, the relevant data will come from July, August, and September 2026. The resulting percentage is rounded to the nearest tenth of a percent. If there is no increase, or the rounded increase is zero, no COLA is provided for that year.
What Was the Social Security COLA for 2026?
The previous COLA was announced on October 24, 2025, when the SSA confirmed a 2.8% increase for 2026. The agency said the increase would affect Social Security benefits for nearly 71 million beneficiaries.
The 2.8% adjustment was based on the increase in the average CPI-W between the third quarter of 2024 and the third quarter of 2025. The average rose from 308.729 to 317.265, resulting in a 2.8% COLA after rounding.
The 2026 increase became effective with December 2025 Social Security benefits, which were payable in January 2026. SSI payments also increased by 2.8%, with January 2026 payments generally issued at the end of December because of the New Year’s Day holiday.
The 2027 COLA will follow the same statutory formula, but its final percentage will not be known until the SSA makes its official announcement in October 2026.