Social Security COLA 2027 Calculator
Every October, the Social Security Administration announces the following year’s Cost-of-Living Adjustment, or COLA, based on inflation data from the third quarter. This tool lets you estimate your 2027 benefit increase now, ahead of the official announcement, and see how the estimate changes under different inflation scenarios.
Estimate your 2027 benefit
Unofficial estimate for planning purposes only. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration. The official 2027 COLA, announced October 14, 2026, is the only figure that determines your actual benefit.
How the Social Security COLA is calculated
The COLA is not a discretionary raise. It is a formula set in law: the SSA takes the average CPI-W – the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers – for July, August, and September of the current year, and compares it with the same three-month average from the year before. The percentage difference, rounded to the nearest 0.1%, becomes next year’s COLA. If the index falls or stays flat, benefits are simply held steady; by law, a COLA can never be negative.
CPI-W is a narrower measure than the more commonly quoted CPI-U, weighted more heavily toward the spending patterns of working-age wage earners rather than the population as a whole. That is why the COLA percentage sometimes diverges from the headline inflation figure reported in the news.
2027 COLA estimates so far
| Source | Estimate | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Senior Citizens League | 3.6% | July 2026 |
| Mary Johnson, independent policy analyst | 3.4% | August 2026 |
| AARP Public Policy Institute | ~3.5% | August 2026 |
Estimates move each month as new CPI-W data is released, and typically converge as the July–September window closes. Treat any pre-October figure as a planning scenario rather than a guarantee.
Recent Social Security COLA history
| Year | COLA |
|---|---|
| 2027 | Announced October 14, 2026 |
| 2026 | 2.8% |
| 2025 | 2.5% |
| 2024 | 3.2% |
| 2023 | 8.7% |
| 2022 | 5.9% |
| 2021 | 1.3% |
Why your take-home increase may be smaller than the COLA
Most retirees have their Medicare Part B premium deducted directly from their Social Security check. The standard Part B premium for 2026 is $185 a month, and premiums typically rise every year. If Part B goes up by more than your COLA in dollar terms, only the remainder shows up as a real increase in your deposit – which is why the calculator above includes an optional field for the Part B change once CMS announces it, usually in early November.
Frequently asked questions
When is the 2027 COLA officially announced?
The SSA is expected to announce it on October 14, 2026, shortly after the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes September CPI-W data.
When does the new amount take effect?
The new COLA applies to benefits paid starting January 2027. SSI recipients typically see the adjusted amount from their December 2026 payment, since SSI is paid at the start of the month it covers.
Can the COLA ever reduce my benefit?
No. If CPI-W falls or is flat year over year, the COLA is set to zero, but benefits are never reduced because of it.
Does the COLA apply to SSDI and SSI as well as retirement benefits?
Yes. The same percentage applies to retirement, survivor, disability (SSDI), and SSI payments.