Social Security benefits to rise 3.6% in 2027
Payment boost for nearly 72 million Americans includes PR
By THE STAR STAFF
Social Security beneficiaries will receive a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in 2027, increasing monthly payments for nearly 72 million Americans, including in Puerto Rico, as inflation adjustments take effect at the start of the new year.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced Wednesday that the increase will apply to retirement, survivors and disability benefits under the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program, as well as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments. On average, Social Security retirement benefits will increase by about $75 per month.
The higher Social Security benefit payments will begin in January 2027. Increased SSI payments for some 7.3 million recipients will start Dec. 31, 2026, according to the agency.
“Social Security will implement this cost-of-living adjustment for 76 million Americans, giving them greater financial stability,” SSA Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano said in a statement. “Under President Donald J. Trump, Social Security is delivering better, faster, higher-quality service for the American people.”
The annual COLA is designed to help beneficiaries maintain purchasing power as consumer prices rise. The adjustment is calculated under a formula established by the Social Security Act and is based on changes in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), as measured by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The agency said beneficiaries with a my Social Security account will be able to view their COLA notices online beginning in late November, several weeks before paper notices are mailed. Users can also sign up for email or text alerts when new messages are available through the platform’s Message Center.
Individuals who do not currently have a my Social Security account must create one and enroll in paperless notices by Nov. 18 to access their COLA notice online. Beneficiaries who do not enroll in paperless delivery will receive notices by mail in December.
SSA said beneficiaries also will receive a simplified, one-page COLA notice providing personalized information, including updated benefit amounts, payment dates and deductions.
Information on Medicare premiums and other Medicare-related changes for 2027 will be released separately through the Medicare program. Medicare enrollees who use my Social Security will be able to view their premium information through the Message Center in late November.
Additional information about the 2027 COLA is available through the Social Security Administration’s COLA fact sheet and on the agency’s website.
