Social Security Raise Set To Hit 3.5% In 2027
Vanitas Still Life — Edwaert Collier, 1662
What Happened
Social Security's 2027 cost-of-living adjustment is projected at 3.5%, according to policy analyst Mary Johnson and The Senior Citizens League. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes September inflation data on Oct. 14, the final number needed to confirm it. Tariffs and rising fuel prices from the Iran war are driving the increase.
Why It Matters
Six straight years of COLAs above 2.5% hasn't happened since the 1990s. Bigger checks sound like good news, and for beneficiaries covering rent and groceries, they are. But every raise draws down the same trust fund that's already set to run dry by late 2032 — the better the raise looks now, the sooner that math comes due.
What's Next
The BLS releases September inflation data on Oct. 14, which will finalize the official 2027 COLA figure.