The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2027 will be 3.6%, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced Wednesday. The increase matches Kiplinger staff economist David Payne’s final estimate of 3.6%, follows a 2.8% boost in 2026, and sits near the long-term historical average of 3.8% since automatic COLAs began in 1975. According to the SSA fact sheet, the 3.6% increase will translate to an additional $75 per month for the average retiree. In January 2027, the average payment will be $2,170, up from the pre-COLA amount of $2,095. Married couples will see an average increase of $117, raising the average monthly benefit for couples to $3,355 from $3,238.The 2027 COLA in contextThe 3.6% COLA is 0.8% more than the 2.8% increase in 2026 and is close to the historical average of 3.8%. David Payne, economist for The Kiplinger Letter, was right on the mark and projected a 3.6% COLA, arguing that “high energy prices bleed into other categories.” September’s inflation numbers supported his conclusion. The Bureau of Labor noted in its press release that “the index for gasoline rose 9.1 percent in September, accounting for over half of the monthly all items increase” and that “the energy index increased 5.2 percent over the month.” Will this increase help retirees? “Retirees shouldn’t interpret a higher COLA as having more spending money. If their benefit rises 3% or 4%, it is because the prices used to calculate the adjustment have risen as well. The objective is preservation of purchasing power, not an increase in purchasing power,” Martha Shedden, co-founder of the National Association of Registered Social Security Analysts (RSSA), told Kiplinger.Historic COLAs. The COLA hit a low of 0.0% in 2016 during a period of price declines, but surged to 8.7% in 2023 when pandemic-fueled inflation peaked. The biggest COLA increase was 14.3% back in 1980. That was also the same year the U.S. prime rate reached a record high of 21.50% on December 19, 1980. Below are the three lowest and highest COLAs beneficiaries have received since the formula was implemented in 1975. Three lowest and highest COLAsYear Lowest COLAsYear Highest COLAs20160.0%198014.3%20170.3%198111.2%20182.0%19799.9%(Image credit: Getty Images)Earnings test when you receive benefits while workingEarned income can cost you if you continue to work after claiming Social Security benefits before your full retirement age (FRA). How? The Social Security earnings test for annual income is applied to your gross wages and reduces your monthly benefit. Bonuses, commissions and vacation pay also count as income for the earnings test. The SSA does not count: Other government benefitsDistributions from tax-deferred accounts, such as 401(k) or tax-exempt accounts, including Roth IRAsInvestment earnings, including interest, dividends and capital gainsPension benefits, including Social Security benefits orPayments from annuities.How much SSA withholds. The SSA temporarily withholds $1 of your benefits for every $2 earned over $25,560 or $2,130 per month for 2027. This is an annual increase of $1,080 from $24,480 and a monthly increase of $90 from $2,040 in 2026. In a year the worker hits FRA, the test is more generous — the worker forfeits $1 in benefits for every $3 in 2027 earnings above $67,920 or $5,660 per month. This is an increase of $2,760 and $230, respectively, over the 2026 earnings limits of $65,160 or $5,430 per month.(Image credit: Getty Images)Social Security tax wage cap for 2027Social Security caps the amount of income you pay taxes on and get credit for when benefits are calculated. The new Social Security tax limit is $192,300 in 2027, up $7,800 from $184,500 in 2026. The tax limit is indexed to inflation, so you can anticipate it will rise again in 2028.How much you need to earn to qualify for Social Security credits in 2027You must earn a minimum of 40 Social Security credits to qualify for retirement benefits, up to four credits per year. The SSA cannot pay you benefits if you don’t have enough credits. The SSA also uses the number of credits you’ve earned to determine your eligibility for retirement or disability benefits, premium-free Medicare Part A and your family’s eligibility for survivor benefits.To earn one credit in 2027, you must have wages and/or self-employment income of $1,970, and you must earn $7,800 to get four full credits. In 2026, you only needed to earn $1,890 to earn a credit, $80 less than what you need to earn in 2027. This amount increases annually and will rise in 2028. How is the COLA calculated?(Image credit: Getty Images)The Consumer Price Index (CPI-W) for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers is the benchmark the SSA uses to determine the COLA, but that is a recent development. Initially, a new act of Congress was required each time benefits were increased. However, the rapid and persistent inflation in the 1970s quickly eroded the purchasing power of fixed pensions and Social Security benefits. As a result, Congress enacted the COLA provision in the 1972 Social Security Amendments, and automatic annual COLAs began in 1975.The COLA is now determined by the inflation observed in July, August, and September in the CPI-W. The SSA calculates the percentage change between average prices in the third quarter of the current year (2026) and the third quarter of the previous year (2025).This is the formula: (328.746 – 317.265 ) / 317.265 x 100 = 3.6%CPI-W numbers used to calculate the 2027 COLAMonth 20252026July316.349327.104August317.306328.481September318.139330.654Third quarter total951.794986.239Average (rounded to the nearest 0.001)317.265328.746Some proposals call for the COLA to be based on the Consumer Price Index for Americans aged 62 or older (CPI-E), but they have so far failed. Proponents of using this price index argue that it reflects the costs older adults incur more accurately than the broader CPI-W. Medical expenses, an increasing burden on older adults, are weighted more heavily in the CPI-E than in the CPI-W.However, the COLA applies not only to retirement benefits but also to disability and survivor benefits. So a COLA geared toward older beneficiaries wouldn’t necessarily address the needs of the other two groups. Related ContentProjected 2027 IRMAA Brackets and Surcharges for Medicare Parts B and DMedicare 2027 Projections: Here’s How Much Your Monthly Premiums Are Estimated to Rise8 Changes Coming to Medicare in 2027
