What the 3.6% COLA adds to your check in January 2027, and what can take it back
The 2027 raise is set. Here is what it adds to the average retirement, survivor and disability check, how to figure your own, and the three things that can shrink the net amount.
Key takeaways
- The 3.6 percent COLA adds about $75 a month to the average retired worker's check starting with the January 2027 payment.
- The 2027 Medicare Part B premium had not been posted by CMS when we checked on November 7, 2026, and it comes out of the same check, so the net raise is not known yet.
- Read your COLA notice in the my Social Security Message Center in late November and check for a Part B deduction and an IRMAA line.
You collect Social Security, you have heard the 2027 raise is 3.6 percent, and you want to know what that means in dollars on your own check. The percentage is settled. The net amount you keep is not, because the Medicare Part B premium comes out of the same payment, and the 2027 premium was not yet posted when we checked.
How much is the 2027 COLA worth per month?
The Social Security Administration set the 2027 cost-of-living adjustment at 3.6 percent, up from 2.8 percent for 2026.1 It applies to Social Security benefits payable for January 2027. SSI recipients see the new rate first, on the payment dated December 31, 2026.1
SSA’s fact sheet gives estimated averages before and after the January 2027 COLA, not your number. The SSI rows are federal maximums, not averages.1
| Who | Estimated before the COLA | Estimated after the COLA (January 2027) | Monthly increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| All retired workers | $2,095 | $2,170 | $75 |
| Aged couple, both receiving benefits | $3,238 | $3,355 | $117 |
| Aged widow or widower, alone | $1,936 | $2,005 | $69 |
| All disabled workers | $1,642 | $1,701 | $59 |
| Disabled worker, spouse and children | $2,970 | $3,077 | $107 |
| SSI federal maximum, individual | $994 | $1,029 | $35 |
| SSI federal maximum, couple | $1,491 | $1,544 | $53 |
How do I figure my own raise?
Take your current monthly benefit before any deductions and multiply by 1.036. A $1,850 benefit becomes $1,916.60. That is an estimate. SSA applies the COLA to the underlying benefit computation, so the exact result can differ slightly in either direction,7 and federal law rounds the amount payable, after the Part B premium is deducted, down to the next lower whole dollar.3 Your new January deposit, if nothing else changes, is roughly that figure minus your full 2027 Part B premium, rounded down.
SSA posts COLA notices to the Message Center of my Social Security accounts in late November 2026 for people who created an account by November 18, 2026; paper notices are mailed in December.2 For people with Medicare, SSA says the notice showing the new 2027 amount after the Part B deduction comes in December.2
Benefits Insider reported on the first of the three months of price data behind this number (August 2026): one of the three months that sets your 2027 raise.
What is the 2027 Medicare Part B premium?
When we checked cms.gov on November 7, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services had not posted the 2027 Parts A and B premiums and deductibles; CMS usually releases them in the fall. We will update this section when the 2027 figures are out. For 2026 the standard premium is $202.90 a month, up $17.90 from $185.00 in 2025.4
A Part B increase of the size seen in 2026 would absorb roughly a quarter of the average retired worker’s $75 raise.1 Until CMS announces the 2027 figure, your net change cannot be worked out, and other deductions also affect it.
What is the hold-harmless rule?
The hold-harmless rule (SSA calls it the variable Part B premium) stops a Part B increase from shrinking your check. If your premium rises by more dollars than your COLA adds, SSA reduces your premium so the January check, after the deduction, equals the December check.5
It applies only if you were entitled to Social Security benefits for November and December, actually received the cash benefit for those months, and had your Part B premiums for December and January withheld from the check.5 It does not protect you if you pay an income-related surcharge (IRMAA), or if your state Medicaid program pays your Part B premium for you.5 It matters most for people with small benefits, where a premium increase can exceed the dollar COLA.
Can IRMAA take back the raise?
Yes, for higher-income households. Medicare adds an income-related monthly adjustment amount to the Part B and Part D premiums when your modified adjusted gross income passes a threshold. For 2026 the thresholds are $109,000 for a single filer and $218,000 for a joint return, and the first surcharge tier adds $81.20 a month to Part B.6 SSA generally uses the return filed two years earlier, so the 2027 surcharge will usually rest on your 2025 return.6
The 2027 IRMAA table publishes with CMS’s annual premium announcement, and SSA posts it on its page for higher-income beneficiaries; we will update this section then. If your income dropped because you or your spouse stopped working, married, divorced or were widowed, you can ask SSA for a new decision using Form SSA-44.6 Our guide to appealing IRMAA covers the form.
What to do
- Multiply your current gross benefit by 1.036 and write the result down. That is an estimate of your new gross benefit, not your deposit.
- If you do not have a my Social Security account, create one at ssa.gov/myaccount by November 18, 2026 so your COLA notice can appear in the Message Center in late November.2
- Watch cms.gov/newsroom for the 2027 Parts A & B premiums and deductibles fact sheet, then subtract the full new Part B premium and any other deductions from your estimated new gross benefit; rounded down to the whole dollar, that is your estimated new deposit.7
- When the December notice arrives, check three lines: the new gross benefit, the Part B deduction, and any IRMAA line.
- If an IRMAA line appears and your income has fallen because of a life event, file Form SSA-44 or call SSA at 1-800-772-1213.6
- Ignore any call, text or email asking you to “activate” the raise. The COLA is automatic, and SSA’s services are free.2
Sources
- Social Security Administration — 2027 Social Security Changes (COLA fact sheet)
- Social Security Administration — Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Information for 2027
- Social Security Administration — Social Security Act §215(g), Rounding of Benefits
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services — 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles
- Social Security Administration — POMS HI 01001.004, The Variable Supplementary Medical Insurance (VSMI) Premium
- Social Security Administration — Medicare Premiums: Rules for Higher-Income Beneficiaries
- Social Security Administration, Office of the Chief Actuary — How the COLA is applied to benefits
Reviewed November 7, 2026 against the sources above. Re-verify each October when the new figures publish, and again when CMS announces the 2027 Part B premium.
The Social Security PlaybookWhen to claim, how to protect a spouse, and the 75 questions people actually ask. By Kwame Kuadey.About the book →Next Chapter Today is not a government website and is not affiliated with the Social Security Administration or any agency. This article is educational and is not individualized legal, medical, tax or financial advice. Confirm your own figures with the agency before you act.
