Updated
Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Sep 8
Social Security to Set 2027 COLA on Oct. 14 as Forecasts Point to 3.5%-3.6% Increase
Updated
Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Sep 8

Social Security to Set 2027 COLA on Oct. 14 as Forecasts Point to 3.5%-3.6% Increase

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Sep 8

Summary

  • Oct. 14 is the expected date for the Social Security Administration to announce the 2027 cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security and SSI, with payments rising automatically afterward.
  • 3.5% to 3.6% is the current forecast range from AARP and The Senior Citizens League, above 2026's 2.8% increase, largely because inflation—especially energy and oil prices—ran hotter than a year earlier.
  • Sept. 11 brings the August CPI-W reading, and the final September CPI-W data on Oct. 14 will complete the three-month July-through-September formula used to calculate the official COLA.
  • A 3.5% COLA would add about $73 to the average retired worker benefit of $2,086 a month, though Medicare Part B premiums due in November could offset part of that gain.
  • Dec. 31, 2026 through January 2027 is when beneficiaries start receiving the higher amounts, with SSI's January payment arriving early on Dec. 31 because Jan. 1 is a federal holiday.

Insights

Will rising Medicare premiums quietly erase your higher 2027 Social Security COLA before it even reaches your bank account?
Could switching the inflation formula to prioritize medical costs finally give retirees the true purchasing power they desperately need?