Overview
- A mid‑September estimate from the Senior Citizen’s League projects about a 3.5% cost‑of‑living adjustment for Social Security and Supplemental Security Income in 2027.
- The COLA is calculated from the average of July, August and September readings of the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, and the Social Security Administration will announce the official rate after the September CPI‑W release.
- Analysts and advocates warn that a late August or September inflation swing could move the final COLA by tenths of a percentage point before the official announcement.
- Many beneficiaries may see much of any nominal increase offset because higher Medicare Part B premiums, Income‑Related Monthly Adjustment Amounts (IRMAA) and greater taxability can cut into net benefit gains.
- About 7.3 million people receive SSI each month and the current federal maximum SSI payments are $994 for individuals and $1,491 for couples, factors that shape how a small COLA change affects low‑income recipients.