Your Social Security check could get a bigger boost in 2027

A bigger Social Security boost may be coming in 2027. Here's how much.

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A bigger Social Security boost may be coming in 2027. Here’s how much

The New Year is closer than many Americans may realize. It could bring a major change to Social Security’s payment amounts as the administration irons out its cost-of-living (COLA) adjustment for 2027.

This story was originally published on MySA, a Hearst publication.

Here’s what those who receive Social Security checks need to know:

The Social Security Administration (SSA) determines the COLA by comparing the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) from July through September of the previous year, when a COLA was determined, to the same third-quarter period of the current year. If there is no increase, there will be no COLA, according to the SSA.

COLA affects the amount of money included in Social Security benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments. The main purpose is to ensure that recipients can still afford a similar number of products and services, even when prices rise, according to the administration’s website.

“Social Security is a promise kept, and the annual cost-of-living adjustment is one way we are working to make sure benefits reflect today’s economic realities and continue to provide a foundation of security,” Social Security Administration Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano said in a blog post. “The cost-of-living adjustment is a vital part of how Social Security delivers on its mission.”

A forecast from the AARP, a nonpartisan organization serving Americans ages 50 and up, alongside their families, states that the 2027 COLA will be roughly 3.6%, which would add approximately $75 to the monthly income of retired workers. The nonprofit used projections from the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Federal Reserve to determine the increase.

Meanwhile, a forecast from the Senior Citizens League, which provides a COLA watch on its website, lists the predicted COLA at 3.8%, which would amount to $77 more per month. This number is based on the SSA’s most recent statistical snapshot, issued in July 2026 (see the average monthly benefit in the retirement benefits category).

This can be compared to the prediction by independent Social Security and Medicare analyst Mary Johnson of a 3.7% COLA, issued in July via The Motley Fool website.

It is $5,181, according to the SSA’s website.

The SSA has said it will make an official announcement regarding the 2027 COLA in October. Historically, it goes into effect in January of the following year after the announcement, the AARP states.

In January 2026, it increased by 2.8% (about $56 per month). The increase was announced on Oct. 24, 2025.