ECONOMY STUDIOSocial Security COLA calculator
Social Security benefits rise 3.6% in 2027 (SSA, October 14, 2026). Enter your monthly benefit to see your new check, and what Medicare Part B takes out of it.
- Raise per month
- +$75.42
- Raise over the year
- +$905.04
- New yearly benefit
- $26,045
- Check after Medicare Part B
- $1,960.92
- Raise after Part B
- +$68.82
A 3.6% COLA raises a $2,095.00 monthly benefit to $2,170.42 in 2027: $75.42 more a month, $905.04 more over the year.
With Medicare Part B going from $202.90 to $209.50 a month (estimate), the check after Part B goes from $1,892.10 to $1,960.92: $68.82 more, not $75.42.
Follow the $100: every $100 of benefit becomes $103.60. The COLA matches how much prices rose for wage earners (the CPI-W), so it keeps buying power level on average; it is not a gain.
Every COLA since 1975
By the year the raise was first paid. Source: SSA. 1975-82 raises started in July, since 1984 in January; none was paid in 1983.
Your check, 2026 vs 2027
| Monthly | 2026 | 2027 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benefit | $2,095.00 | $2,170.42 | +$75.42 |
| Part B premium (estimate) | $202.90 | $209.50 | +$6.60 |
| Check after Part B | $1,892.10 | $1,960.92 | +$68.82 |
| Yearly benefit | $25,140.00 | $26,045.04 | +$905.04 |
How it works
Your benefit is multiplied by the COLA. If Medicare Part B comes out of your check, the calculator subtracts this year's and next year's standard premium, and applies the hold-harmless limit when the premium rises by more than your raise. SSA rounds amounts down, so the figure on your notice can be up to a dollar lower. People with higher incomes pay a larger Part B premium; enter yours in "Part B premiums".
SSA says most people will find their COLA notice in the Message Center of their my Social Security account in late November 2026. How the system works: how Social Security works, and why your raise feels smaller. Follow the $100: how inflation actually works, the latest inflation rate, and whether your savings keep up.
Questions
What is the Social Security COLA for 2027?
3.6%. SSA announced it on October 14, 2026. It starts with the benefits paid in January 2027; SSI payments go up from December 31, 2026.
How is the COLA calculated?
From the CPI-W, the price index for urban wage earners and clerical workers: the average for July to September is compared with the same three months a year earlier. It went from 317.265 in 2025 to 328.746 in 2026, a rise of 3.6% (BLS). If prices did not rise, there is no COLA.
Why will my raise feel smaller?
Medicare Part B is usually taken out of the Social Security check. The standard premium is $202.90 a month in 2026 (CMS), and the Medicare Trustees estimate $209.50 for 2027; CMS sets the official amount in the fall, usually in November. Turn on "Medicare Part B" in the calculator to see your check after the premium.
What is the hold-harmless rule?
A provision in the law limits the dollar increase in the Part B premium to the dollar increase in a person's Social Security benefit, so the check after Part B does not shrink. The Medicare Trustees say it applies to most people who have the premium deducted from their benefit, roughly 70 percent of Part B enrollees.
What was the biggest COLA?
14.3%, paid from 1980. There was no COLA in 2010, 2011 and 2016, when prices did not rise from one third quarter to the next. The average of the last 20 COLAs (2008 to 2027) is 2.6%.
Sources
- SSA, Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Information for 2027
- SSA, 2027 COLA fact sheet (average benefits)
- BLS CPI-W, all items (FRED CWUR0000SA0)
- CMS, 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles (Nov 14, 2025)
- 2026 Medicare Trustees Report (Part B premium estimate, hold-harmless provision)
Educational tool, not financial advice. Results are estimates from the numbers you enter; lenders and banks calculate in their own ways. Default rates update automatically from official data.