Cost-of-living adjustment (COLA)
The COLA raises Social Security, SSI, and VA benefit rates each January. It equals the percentage increase of the CPI-W index between the third quarter of the current year and the third quarter of the last year a COLA was applied.
2027 COLA tracker → CPI-W timeline and estimate tool
COLA by year
verified 2026-07-31| 2026 | 2.8% | |
| 2025 | 2.5% | |
| 2024 | 3.2% | |
| 2023 | 8.7% | |
| 2022 | 5.9% | |
| 2021 | 1.3% | |
| 2020 | 1.6% |
Source: SSA COLA. The adjustment applies to benefits payable beginning January of the listed year; VA rates change on December 1 of the prior year.
Timeline for the 2027 COLA
- July–September 2026 — the three CPI-W readings that determine the adjustment are published monthly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Mid-October 2026 — SSA announces the official 2027 COLA the morning the September CPI report is released.
- December 1, 2026 — VA compensation rates increase by the same percentage.
- January 2027 — adjusted Social Security and SSI payments begin.
We publish the exact figure here the day it is announced. Any number you see before the official announcement is an estimate, not a fact. Open the 2027 tracker.
COLA bump calculator
verified 2026-07-31- Monthly increase
- $50.40
- New monthly amount
- $1,850.40
- New annual
- $22,204.80
Estimate only — actual COLA is announced by SSA (typically mid-October) and applies to Social Security, SSI, and VA rates the following December / January cycle.