Por Pedro Bianco
En esta noticia
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries will get a cost-of-living increase in their payments in 2027. And they have one thing that sets them apart from the rest of Social Security beneficiaries: they are the first to see that increase reflected in their account, even before the end of 2026.
What Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is and who receives it
SSI is a federal program that provides monthly payments to people with limited income and resources to help cover basic needs such as food, clothing and housing. It is administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA), but it differs fundamentally from retirement benefits: it is not funded through Social Security payroll contributions, but through general Treasury funds, and it does not depend on having worked or on how much was contributed over a person’s working life.
To qualify, you must meet both the financial requirement -- low income and resources below certain limits -- and belong to one of these groups: people age 65 or older, blind people or people with a disability (including children with disabilities). In all, the 2027 adjustment affects about 7.3 million people who receive this benefit.
The 2027 Supplemental Security Income increase (COLA)
SSI increases 3.6% in 2027, the same cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) that applies to all Social Security benefits. With that increase, the maximum federal payment is as follows:
- For a single person (individual): rises to $1,029 a month, up from $994 in 2026 (about $35 more).
- For a couple (both beneficiaries): rises to $1,544 a month, up from $1,491 in 2026 (about $53 more).
Those amounts are the federal maximums. What each person receives may be lower, because SSI is reduced based on any other income the beneficiary has; in addition, some states add their own supplement on top of the federal amount.
When the increase starts showing up
While retirees and other Social Security beneficiaries will not see the increase until January 2027 payments, people who receive SSI will see it earlier: the first adjusted payment comes on December 31, 2026.
The reason is the payment schedule. SSI is generally paid on the first day of each month. But when that day falls on a weekend or holiday, the payment is issued on the previous business day. Because Jan. 1, 2027, is a holiday (New Year’s Day), the January payment, with the increase included, will be paid on the last business day in December, that is, the 31st.