Every benefit number that changes on January 1, 2027
Social Security, SSI, Medicare and SNAP each publish a new set of figures, and they do not arrive on the same day. Here is each program's table with the 2026 number beside the 2027 one, and what each change does to a real check.
Key takeaways
- Social Security and SSI figures reset on January 1, 2027 with a 3.6% COLA; the SSI increase is paid December 31, 2026.
- The 2027 Medicare Part B premium, which is deducted from the Social Security check, had not been posted on cms.gov when we checked on November 7, 2026.
- SNAP already reset on October 1, 2026, so check the fiscal 2027 limits now rather than waiting for January.
The 2027 figures are now published for Social Security and SSI. Medicare’s are still to come, and SNAP’s already changed in October. Each table below puts the 2026 number beside the 2027 one, with what the change does to a real check.
Social Security: what changes on January 1, 2027?
The cost-of-living adjustment for 2027 is 3.6%, up from 2.8% the year before, and it appears first in the January 2027 payment.12 SSA estimates the average retired worker’s check rises from $2,095 to $2,170.1
| Social Security | 2026 | 2027 | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| COLA | 2.8% | 3.6% | Raises every check from January |
| Taxable maximum | $184,500 | $192,300 | Wages above it pay no Social Security tax |
| Quarter of coverage | $1,890 | $1,970 | Earnings needed for one work credit |
| Earnings test, under FRA all year | $24,480 | $25,560 | $1 withheld per $2 over, in a year you are under FRA for all 12 months |
| Earnings test, year you reach FRA | $65,160 | $67,920 | $1 per $3 over, counting only earnings in the months before your FRA month; no test from that month on |
| Maximum benefit at FRA | $4,152 | $4,188 | The ceiling for a worker claiming at FRA |
| SGA, non-blind (SSDI) | $1,690 | $1,770 | Monthly earnings SSA treats as substantial work |
| SGA, blind | $2,830 | $2,950 | Same line, for people who are blind |
| Trial work month | $1,210 | $1,270 | A month above it counts as a trial work month on SSDI |
All figures in this table are from SSA’s 2027 fact sheet.1 If you collect early and still work, see the rule for the year you reach FRA and the under-FRA rule.
SSI: what is the new federal rate?
SSI uses the same 3.6% COLA, but the first increased payment arrives on December 31, 2026, the payment for January.2
| SSI | 2026 | 2027 | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal rate, individual | $994 | $1,029 | The maximum federal check, before state supplements |
| Federal rate, couple | $1,491 | $1,544 | The maximum for an eligible couple |
| Student earned-income exclusion, monthly | $2,410 | $2,500 | Wages a qualifying student can earn before SSI counts them |
| Student exclusion, annual cap | $9,730 | $10,080 | The yearly ceiling on that exclusion |
| Resource limit, individual | $2,000 | $2,000 | Unchanged; countable resources above it make you ineligible for that month9 |
| Resource limit, couple | $3,000 | $3,000 | Unchanged; not indexed to inflation |
The rates and limits are from the SSA fact sheet.1 The resource limits do not move with the COLA.1
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When we checked cms.gov on November 7, 2026, the 2027 Parts A and B premiums and deductibles had not been posted; CMS usually releases them in the fall.4 We will update the table when they are announced; the 2026 Medicare.gov numbers shown here apply through December 31, 2026.3
| Medicare | 2026 | 2027 | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part B standard premium | $202.90/mo | Not yet announced | Deducted from the Social Security check |
| Part B deductible | $283/yr | Not yet announced | Paid once a year before Part B pays |
| Part A hospital deductible | $1,736 | Not yet announced | Paid per benefit period, not per year |
If your income dropped since the tax year Medicare is using for a surcharge, see how to appeal an IRMAA charge.
SNAP: why did it already change?
SNAP runs on the federal fiscal year, so its standards reset on October 1, 2026 and hold through September 30, 2027.5 There is no January change. See our companion piece, SNAP income limits for 2027 by household size. The two smallest households are below.
| SNAP, 48 states and D.C. | Fiscal 2026 | Fiscal 2027 | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum monthly benefit, 1 person | $298 | $306 | The most a one-person household can receive |
| Maximum monthly benefit, 2 people | $546 | $562 | The most a two-person household can receive |
| Gross monthly income limit, 1 person | $1,696 | $1,729 | Gross income test (130% of poverty); households with a member 60+ or disabled use the net test instead8 |
| Gross monthly income limit, 2 people | $2,292 | $2,345 | Same line for a couple |
Fiscal 2027 figures are from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service COLA page; fiscal 2026 figures are from its prior-year tables.567 If you were turned down on income earlier in 2026, the higher line is a reason to check again, though it does not by itself make you eligible.
What to do
- Read your COLA notice in the Message Center at ssa.gov/myaccount in late November if you created your account by November 18, 2026, or in the mail in December; it shows your 2027 amount, and for people with Medicare the amount after the Part B deduction comes in the December notice.2
- If you collect Social Security before full retirement age and work, compare your expected 2027 earnings with $25,560 if you are under FRA all year. In the year you reach FRA, compare only earnings from the months before your FRA month with $67,920; no test applies from that month on.1
- If you receive SSI, expect the new amount on December 31, 2026, and keep your countable resources at or below $2,000 ($3,000 for a couple); excluded assets do not count toward the limit.219
- Watch the CMS newsroom or Medicare.gov costs for the 2027 Part B premium, then subtract the premium increase from your COLA to get your real January change, assuming nothing else in your deductions changes.43
- For SNAP, check your household size against the fiscal 2027 tables at fns.usda.gov and reapply through your state agency if you now qualify.5
Sources
- Social Security Administration — COLA fact sheet: 2027 Social Security Changes
- Social Security Administration — Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Information for 2027
- Medicare.gov — Medicare costs (2026 amounts)
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services — Newsroom (checked November 7, 2026; we did not find a 2027 Parts A & B premium release)
- USDA Food and Nutrition Service — SNAP Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Information, Fiscal Year 2027
- USDA Food and Nutrition Service — SNAP Fiscal Year 2026 Maximum Allotments and Deductions (PDF)
- USDA Food and Nutrition Service — SNAP Fiscal Year 2026 Income Eligibility Standards (PDF)
- USDA Food and Nutrition Service — SNAP Special Rules for the Elderly or Disabled
- Social Security Administration — 20 CFR 416.1207, Resources determinations
Reviewed November 7, 2026 against the sources above. Re-verify each January, and again when CMS publishes the 2027 Medicare premiums.
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