2027 Social Security COLA Calculator

How this calculator works

Each year Social Security adjusts benefits for inflation through the cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA. SSA announced on October 14, 2026 that the COLA for 2027 is 3.6%, up from 2.8% for 2026. It applies to retirement, survivor, disability (SSDI) and SSI benefits. This calculator shows what that increase means for your own check.

The inputs. Enter your current monthly gross benefit, which is the amount before Medicare or anything else is taken out. You can find it on your 2026 benefit letter or in your my Social Security account. Then tell the tool whether your Medicare Part B premium is deducted from your check.

The formula.

1. New gross benefit = current gross × 1.036, rounded down to the nearest dime. SSA rounds benefit amounts down, so the tool does the same.
2. Increase in dollars = new gross − current gross.
3. If Part B is deducted, estimated net for 2027 = new gross − $209.50, compared with your 2026 net of current gross − $202.90.

The $202.90 figure is the official 2026 standard Part B premium. The $209.50 figure for 2027 is projected from the 2026 Medicare Trustees Report; CMS normally announces the official amount in mid-November. If your income is high enough to owe a surcharge, check our IRMAA calculator because your premium will be larger than the standard amount.

Worked example. Robert receives a gross benefit of $1,950.00 a month and has Part B deducted.

Robert's gross rises by $70.20 a month. Because the projected Part B premium also rises by $6.60, his net deposit goes up by about $63.60. That is the number he will actually notice in his bank account. Here $1,950 × 1.036 works out to exactly $2,020.20, so no rounding is needed; for other amounts, the tool drops any cents past the dime.

For context, SSA estimates the average retired-worker benefit will be about $2,170 a month in January 2027, roughly $75 more than before the COLA. The first checks that include the increase go out in January 2027 (January 13, 20 or 27 depending on your birthday). SSI recipients see the new amount in the payment dated December 31, 2026. You can look up your exact dates with the payment schedule calculator, and read more background in our 2027 COLA guide.

Limits of this estimate. SSA applies the COLA to your underlying benefit amount before some deductions and roundings, so your official figure may differ by a few cents. The net estimate assumes only the standard Part B premium is deducted. It does not include Part D or Medicare Advantage premiums, voluntary federal tax withholding, IRMAA surcharges or any garnishment. The personal COLA notice SSA mails and posts in my Social Security in December 2026 is the authoritative figure.