Overview
- The Social Security Administration will calculate the 2027 COLA after the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes the September CPI‑W and plans to announce the official rate on Oct. 14, 2026.
- Independent forecasts cluster around a mid‑3% COLA for 2027, but the exact percentage will determine benefit increases that start in January 2027.
- Key program benchmarks will rise for 2027: the earnings needed for a work credit will increase, the maximum taxable earnings (wage base) will exceed the 2026 limit of $184,500, and the earnings‑test limits for workers claiming before full retirement age will go up.
- A higher wage base means high earners will pay more in payroll taxes, and rising credit thresholds could leave some part‑time workers unable to earn four credits in a year.
- Medicare Part B premium changes can reduce beneficiaries’ net COLA gains and longer‑term funding concerns highlighted by the Trustees’ projection of a 2032 trust‑fund shortfall keep policy debates about benefit or COLA reforms active.