2027 Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustment and November 2026 Payment Schedule

The Social Security Administration announced on October 14 that the 2027 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will be 3.6 percent. The increase raises the average retired-worker benefit by about $75 per month, from $2,095 to $2,170. Couples receiving both spouses’ retirement benefits will see their combined average payment rise from $3,238 to $3,355. Disabled workers’ average benefit will grow by $59, from $1,642 to $1,701. The maximum Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payment for an individual will increase from $994 to $1,029, with the couple maximum rising from $1,491 to $1,544. The adjustment applies to roughly 76 million Americans receiving Social Security or SSI benefits.

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Because November 2026 contains two holidays and a weekend, the SSA shifted several payment dates:

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• October 30 – Early SSI payment (November 1 falls on a Sunday).

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• November 3 – Payments for beneficiaries who began receiving benefits before May 1997 or who receive both Social Security and SSI.

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• November 10 – Payments for birthdays 1-10, issued one day early due to Veterans Day on November 11.

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• November 18 – Payments for birthdays 11-20.

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• November 25 – Payments for birthdays 21-31.

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These dates ensure that all November checks arrive before the holiday weekend.

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The SSA uses the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). It compares the average CPI-W for July-September of the current year with the same three-month period a year earlier. The percentage increase becomes the COLA, rounded to the nearest one-tenth of a percent. For 2027, the Q3 CPI-W average was 3.62 percent higher than in 2025, producing the 3.6 percent adjustment.

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• Recipients can view personalized COLA notices through their My Social Security accounts beginning in late November.

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• SSI recipients will see their first increased payment on December 31, 2026, because January 1 is a federal holiday.

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• The SSA noted that the percentage increase will not be identical for every beneficiary; actual dollar changes depend on each individual’s pre-adjustment benefit and any applicable deductions such as Medicare premiums.

Social Security COLA 2027: Benefits Will Rise 3.6%, With Payments Changing in January

Sources differ on the primary drivers of the inflation that led to the 3.6 percent COLA. The Fool emphasizes tariff-related and geopolitical factors, while Newsweek and Aktualita focus on the CPI-W calculation without assigning causality. No source provides a definitive breakdown of each factor’s contribution.

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• Late November: Personalized COLA notices become available online.

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• December 31, 2026: SSI beneficiaries receive the first increased payment.

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• January 2027: All Social Security retirement and disability benefits begin reflecting the 3.6 percent COLA.

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Beneficiaries should review their notices, compare gross benefit increases with any changes in deductions, and adjust household budgets accordingly.

Social Security COLA 2027: Benefits Will Rise 3.6%, With Payments Changing in January