By Pedro Bianco
En esta noticia
The annual Social Security increase now has a date and a number: the Social Security Administration (SSA) has confirmed the 2027 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), which will start showing up in January payments. The main question for beneficiaries is how much more they will get and exactly when they will see it in their accounts, since not everyone is paid on the same day.
How much is the 2027 Social Security COLA?
The 2027 cost-of-living adjustment is 3.6%. That is the percentage by which Social Security retirement, disability and survivors benefits will increase so they do not lose purchasing power to inflation. The increase takes effect with January 2027 payments.
How much more the average retiree will get
In dollar terms, the 3.6% increase means the average retiree’s check will go up by about $75 a month: from around $2,095 to about $2,170 a month. The exact amount varies in each case because it depends on the benefit each person was already receiving: the higher the check, the larger the dollar increase, since the 3.6% is applied to that base amount.
Who will see it first in their bank accounts
Some beneficiaries will see the increase even before 2027 begins. The first are Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries, who receive their January payment on Dec. 31, 2026, because Jan. 1 is a holiday.
On that same day, Dec. 31, people who started receiving benefits before May 1997 and those who receive Social Security and SSI at the same time also get paid, since their usual date, the 3rd, falls on a weekend after the holiday. For everyone else, the increase arrives throughout January, depending on birth date.
The January 2027 payment schedule
For beneficiaries who are paid based on their birth date, these are the dates they will see the higher payment:
- Dec. 31, 2026: SSI beneficiaries, those who have received payments since before May 1997, and those who receive Social Security and SSI together.
- Jan. 13, 2027: those born between the 1st and the 10th.
- Jan. 20, 2027: those born between the 11th and the 20th.
- Jan. 27, 2027: those born between the 21st and the 31st.