Answer in brief
As of 3 November 2026, the 2027 Social Security cost-of-living adjustment is 3.6%, announced by the Social Security Administration on 14 October 2026. For the average retired worker that is about $75 more a month from January 2027, before any Medicare Part B premium is taken out.
The Social Security Administration set the 2027 raise at 3.6%
Social Security benefits in the United States go up 3.6% in 2027. The Social Security Administration announced that cost-of-living adjustment on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, as CNBC and The Tax Adviser reported. CNBC called it the largest since 2023, when it was 8.7%; 2026 brought 2.8%. It starts in January for about 72 million recipients, and the agency counts 76 million people once Supplemental Security Income is included.
The percentage is not a forecast. According to CNBC, it is the change in the consumer price index for urban wage earners and clerical workers, known as CPI-W, from the third quarter of the prior year to the third quarter of this year.
What 3.6% adds to the average retirement benefit
For the average retired worker the raise is about $75 a month, CNBC and Yahoo Finance reported. Yahoo Finance used a current average of $2,095 a month; multiplied by 0.036, that is about $75.42, or roughly $2,170 after the raise. Your own figure depends on your benefit: multiply your current monthly amount by 0.036 for an estimate.
Medicare Part B takes part of the raise
Most retirees 65 and older have the Part B premium deducted from their Social Security check, Yahoo Finance reported, so the net raise is smaller than 3.6%. The 2027 premium is not official as of 3 November 2026. The 2026 Medicare Trustees Report estimates $209.50 a month, up from $202.90 in 2026, and BenefitsUSA says the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services usually announces the final amount in mid-November.
If the estimate holds, the premium rises by $6.60 a month, which would leave about $68 of the $75 average raise. That is arithmetic on published figures, not an official calculation. In 2026 the premium rose by $17.90 and took roughly a third of the $54 average raise, Yahoo Finance reported.
The taxable maximum rises to $192,300 and the earnings limits move too
The maximum earnings subject to Social Security tax rise to $192,300 in 2027 from $184,500, The Tax Adviser reported. For beneficiaries who work before full retirement age, benefits are reduced by $1 for each $2 earned above $25,560, up from $24,480.
When the notices and the first higher payment arrive
CNBC reported that people with a My Social Security account can see their 2027 amount from late November, while Yahoo Finance said most can see it in early December and that notices go out through December. The outlets differ on the date, so check the agency page at ssa.gov/cola. People without an online account get mailed notices in December, CNBC added. The higher payment starts in January 2027. A personal case belongs with the agency or a financial specialist.
Questions and answers
How much will Social Security go up in 2027 for the average retiree?
As of 3 November 2026 the COLA is 3.6%, about $75 more a month for the average retired worker, who receives roughly $2,095 now, according to CNBC and Yahoo Finance. The increase starts in January 2027.
Will Medicare Part B take some of the 2027 raise?
For most people who pay it from their benefit, yes. The Trustees estimate $209.50 a month for 2027, up from $202.90, but the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services had not announced the final amount as of 3 November 2026.
What is the Social Security taxable maximum for 2027?
It is $192,300, up from $184,500 in 2026, The Tax Adviser reported from the agency announcement. Moneywise calculated the extra employee tax on the $7,800 increase at $483.60 a year.