If you receive Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), your payment is set to rise by 3.6% in 2027. That extra money may help with rising everyday costs, but your own increase depends on your benefit and any deductions. Here is what to expect—and how to make the change part of your financial plan.
When will the increase arrive?
Social Security’s 2027 cost-of-living announcement says the 3.6% increase begins with January 2027 payments for nearly 72 million Social Security beneficiaries. Increased payments to about 7.3 million people who receive SSI begin on December 31, 2026. Some people receive both programs, so those figures overlap.
Social Security estimates that the average retirement benefit will rise by about $75 a month. That is an average, not a promise about your check. Your notice will show your individual amount. If Medicare premiums are deducted from your benefit, look at the amount you will actually receive after deductions, not just the gross increase.
Why this matters to blind and low vision people
Whether you receive SSI, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), retirement, or survivor benefits—or may qualify later—Social Security belongs in your financial plan. A larger payment can help with groceries, housing, transportation, and other costs. But for many people, benefits alone will not cover everything they need.
Where it is possible for you, income from work and a plan to save can provide more flexibility. Investing may be part of a longer-term plan, too. The rules matter: SSI has income and resource limits, while SSDI has different work rules. Before changing your work, savings, or investment arrangements, check how they could affect your benefits. An ABLE account may be worth exploring if you are eligible.
Find your own 2027 amount
- Sign in to your my Social Security account. If you want to see your COLA notice online in late November, Social Security says to create an account and choose paperless notices by November 18, 2026.
- If you do not use paperless notices, watch for your mailed notice in December.
- Compare the new amount you will actually receive with your monthly budget. Decide where the increase will help most, and revisit your plan if your costs or benefits change.
Not receiving benefits yet? Social Security offers an eligibility check and a benefit estimate to help you plan ahead.
What the COLA does—and does not—tell us
The 3.6% COLA is based on a measure of past price changes. It recognizes that many costs have gone up, but it does not mean prices are rising at exactly 3.6% today. It also does not predict what will happen to borrowing rates or savings yields. The Federal Reserve makes interest-rate decisions separately.
If the different Social Security programs feel confusing, Penny Forward’s Simplifying Social Security course can help you understand the basics at your own pace.
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