Independent guide · not the SSA
News · announced Oct. 2026
The 2027 COLA: a 3.6% raise
Social Security and SSI payments go up 3.6% for 2027. SSI's federal maximum becomes $1,029 a month for one person. The first SSI payment at the new amount arrives on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2026.
COLA for 2027. Starts with December 2026 benefits, paid in January 2027.
SSI federal maximum. One person, from $994. Couple: $1,544.
First SSI payment at the new rate. The January payment comes early because Jan. 1 is a holiday.
What changes in 2027
| 2026 | 2027 | |
|---|---|---|
| SSI federal maximum, one person | $994 | $1,029 |
| SSI federal maximum, couple | $1,491 | $1,544 |
| Average for all disabled workers (SSA estimate) | $1,642 | $1,701 |
| Average for all retired workers (SSA estimate) | $2,095 | $2,170 |
| SGA limit, not blind | $1,690 | $1,770 |
| SGA limit, blind | $2,830 | $2,950 |
| Trial work month | $1,210 | $1,270 |
| SSI resource limit, one person / couple | $2,000 / $3,000 | $2,000 / $3,000 |
For the averages, the 2026 column is SSA's estimate before the raise and the 2027 column after it.
COLA history
Each COLA is set from the rise in the CPI-W, a consumer price index, from one third quarter to the next.
Watch for COLA scams
SSA warns that scammers claim to need personal information or a payment to “activate” a COLA. The raise is automatic. Nobody needs your number or money for it.
How to spot an impostorFree tools
Questions people ask
When does the 2027 COLA start?
With December 2026 Social Security benefits, paid in January 2027. For SSI, with the January 2027 payment, which arrives on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2026.
Do I need to do anything to get the COLA?
No. The raise is automatic. Anyone who asks for information or money to activate it is a scammer.
Independent guide · not the SSA. Green Tips 1 US is a private guide. We are not the Social Security Administration, we are not part of it, and we do not take applications.
Sources: SSA, 2027 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Fact Sheet (Web Archive copy of Oct 25, 2026); SSA, Latest Cost-of-Living Adjustment and COLA history (oact/cola); SSA, Schedule of Social Security Benefit Payments 2026 and 2027 (Publication 05-10031); SSA, Social Security-related scams (ssa.gov/scam). Official site, typed by hand: ssa.gov. Read in October 2026; data dates as noted.