Your 2027 Social Security Raise: The 3.6% COLA, Explained, and the November 18 Deadline to Know
Nearly 72 million Americans get a bigger check in January. Here is exactly how much, what else changes in 2027, how to see your new amount before the mail arrives, and why your Medicare premium is the number to watch next.
By Clara Hughes
Social Security beneficiaries are getting a raise. The Social Security Administration announced on October 14 that benefits will rise 3.6% in 2027, and for the average retiree that works out to about $75 more a month, according to the agency. The increase reaches nearly 72 million Social Security beneficiaries in January 2027, the SSA said. About 7.3 million people on Supplemental Security Income will see their higher payments starting December 31, 2026. In all, the agency says some 76 million Americans are affected. That 3.6% is larger than this year's increase. Money.com reported that the 2026 cost-of-living adjustment was 2.8%, worth about $56 a month to the average retiree, and that the 2027 figure ties for the fifth-largest COLA in 35 years. "Under President Donald J. Trump, Social Security is delivering better, faster, higher-quality service," Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano said in the agency's announcement. There is one date to circle right now: November 18. That is the SSA's deadline to set