BALTIMORE — The Social Security Administration said Wednesday it will raise benefits 3.6% in 2027, a cost-of-living increase that will add about $75 a month on average to retirement checks.
Nearly 72 million people who receive Social Security will see the increase starting in January, the agency said. About 7.3 million people on Supplemental Security Income will get the higher payments earlier, beginning Dec. 31, 2026. Some people receive both benefits.
Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano said the agency will implement the adjustment for 76 million Americans, “giving them greater financial stability.”
People with my Social Security accounts can read their COLA notice online starting in late November, up to three weeks before a paper notice arrives, the SSA said. Anyone without an account who wants to see the notice online needs to create one and choose paperless notices by Nov. 18.
Those who have not chosen paperless notices will get the notice by mail in December. The SSA said the notice is a simplified one-page form that lists the new benefit amount and any deductions in plain language.
Information on Medicare changes for 2027 will be posted at medicare.gov, the agency said. For people enrolled in Medicare, the 2027 premium amount will appear in the my Social Security Message Center starting in late November.
The SSA said the annual adjustment is provided for under the Social Security Act and is tied to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, as determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
