# What is the Social Security COLA for 2027?

*Social Security benefits rise 3.6 percent, and the larger payments begin in January 2027.*

- Type: News
- Section: Business
- By: Business Desk
- Published: 2026-11-11T12:55:00-05:00
- Updated: 2026-11-11T13:06:34-05:00
- URL: https://factsdesk.com/business/what-is-the-social-security-cola-for-2027/

Topics: [Social Security Administration](https://factsdesk.com/topic/social-security-administration/), [Bureau of Labor Statistics](https://factsdesk.com/topic/bureau-of-labor-statistics/)

## Key facts

- The Social Security cost-of-living increase for 2027 is 3.6 percent, according to the Social Security Administration notice published in the Federal Register on October 26, 2026. Source: [Social Security Administration, Federal Register](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2026/10/26/2026-21796.txt). Confirmed 2026-11-11T12:50:00-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/business/what-is-the-social-security-cola-for-2027/#the-social-security-cost-of-living-increase-for-2027-is-3-6
- The increase applies to benefits for December 2026, which are payable in January 2027. Source: [Social Security Administration, Federal Register](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2026/10/26/2026-21796.txt). Confirmed 2026-11-11T12:50:00-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/business/what-is-the-social-security-cola-for-2027/#the-increase-applies-to-benefits-for-december-2026-which-are
- The maximum federal Supplemental Security Income payment for 2027 will be $1,029 a month for an eligible individual and $1,544 for an eligible individual with an eligible spouse. Source: [Social Security Administration, Federal Register](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2026/10/26/2026-21796.txt). Confirmed 2026-11-11T12:50:00-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/business/what-is-the-social-security-cola-for-2027/#the-maximum-federal-supplemental-security-income-payment-for
- Earnings up to $192,300 will be subject to the Social Security payroll tax in 2027. Source: [Social Security Administration, Federal Register](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2026/10/26/2026-21796.txt). Confirmed 2026-11-11T12:50:00-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/business/what-is-the-social-security-cola-for-2027/#earnings-up-to-192-300-will-be-subject-to-the-social
- The 3.6 percent figure is the rise in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers from the third quarter of 2025 to the third quarter of 2026. Source: [Social Security Administration, Federal Register](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2026/10/26/2026-21796.txt). Confirmed 2026-11-11T12:50:00-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/business/what-is-the-social-security-cola-for-2027/#the-3-6-percent-figure-is-the-rise-in-the-consumer-price

## How it reaches you (analysis)

1. The Bureau of Labor Statistics measures prices each month with the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers. ([U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm))
2. The Social Security Administration compared that index in the third quarter of 2026 with the third quarter of 2025 and found a 3.6 percent rise. ([Social Security Administration, Federal Register](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2026/10/26/2026-21796.txt))
3. Benefits for December 2026 rise by that 3.6 percent, and those benefits are payable in January 2027. ([Social Security Administration, Federal Register](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2026/10/26/2026-21796.txt))

The cost-of-living increase for 2027 is 3.6 percent. The Social Security Administration set out the figure, and the other amounts that move with it, in a [notice in the Federal Register](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2026/10/26/2026-21796.txt) dated October 26, 2026.

## When the larger payments arrive

The notice says Social Security benefits "will increase by 3.6 percent for individuals eligible for December 2026 benefits, payable in January 2027 and thereafter." Federal Supplemental Security Income rates rise by the same 3.6 percent for January 2027, and the notice says that payment is made on December 31, 2026.

## Other amounts that change in 2027

| Item | 2027 amount |
| --- | --- |
| Maximum federal SSI payment, individual | $1,029 a month |
| Maximum federal SSI payment, individual with an eligible spouse | $1,544 a month |
| Earnings subject to the Social Security payroll tax | $192,300 |
| Earnings needed for one quarter of coverage | $1,970 |
| Monthly earnings test exempt amount, before the year of normal retirement age | $2,130 |
| Monthly earnings test exempt amount, in the year of normal retirement age | $5,660 |

## How the 3.6 percent is calculated

The law ties the increase to one price index, the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, which the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes. The administration compares the average of that index in the third quarter of the current year with the average in the last third quarter that produced an increase. For 2027, that comparison runs from the third quarter of 2025 to the third quarter of 2026, and the notice puts the rise at 3.6 percent after rounding to the nearest tenth.

Because the comparison stops in September, later price reports do not change the 2027 figure. The [October report](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm) put the same index at 331.147.

This page reports the published figures and is not personal financial advice. An individual benefit amount depends on that person's own earnings record.

## Sources

1. [Cost-of-Living Increase and Other Determinations for 2027 (FR Doc. 2026-21796)](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2026/10/26/2026-21796.txt), Social Security Administration, Federal Register, 2026-10-26 (primary source)
2. [Consumer Price Index, October 2026](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2026-11-10 (primary source)