US · SSA figures of October 14, 2026Social Security and SSI rise 3.6% in January 2027. The average retired worker goes from $2,095 to $2,170 a month; after the projected Part B premium of $209.50, the deposit rises about $68.40.
By Artem Titarenko · Reviewed October 14, 2026 · Methodology
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MAGI = adjusted gross income (line 11 of Form 1040) plus tax-exempt interest (line 2a).
Net monthly change in 2027
+$68.40
Deposit after Medicare: $1,892.10 now → $1,960.50 in 2027
The 2027 Part B premium uses the Medicare Trustees' projection of $209.50 for the standard premium. CMS announces the real figure in mid-November 2026.
Your group: Third Wednesday (birthday 11th–20th). When a date falls on a weekend or federal holiday, SSA pays on the business day before.
| Month | Social Security | SSI |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2027 | Wed, Jan 20, 2027 | Thu, Dec 31, 2026 |
| Feb 2027 | Wed, Feb 17, 2027 | Mon, Feb 1, 2027 |
| Mar 2027 | Wed, Mar 17, 2027 | Mon, Mar 1, 2027 |
| Apr 2027 | Wed, Apr 21, 2027 | Thu, Apr 1, 2027 |
| May 2027 | Wed, May 19, 2027 | Fri, Apr 30, 2027 |
| Jun 2027 | Wed, Jun 16, 2027 | Tue, Jun 1, 2027 |
| Jul 2027 | Wed, Jul 21, 2027 | Thu, Jul 1, 2027 |
| Aug 2027 | Wed, Aug 18, 2027 | Fri, Jul 30, 2027 |
| Sep 2027 | Wed, Sep 15, 2027 | Wed, Sep 1, 2027 |
| Oct 2027 | Wed, Oct 20, 2027 | Fri, Oct 1, 2027 |
| Nov 2027 | Wed, Nov 17, 2027 | Mon, Nov 1, 2027 |
| Dec 2027 | Wed, Dec 15, 2027 | Wed, Dec 1, 2027 |
SSI for January 2028 is paid on Thu, Dec 30, 2027, because January 1, 2028 is a Saturday and December 31 is the observed New Year's holiday.
Average retiree. A $2,095 benefit × 1.036 = $2,170.42, which SSA rounds down to $2,170: $75 more. Part B goes from $202.90 to a projected $209.50, so the deposit goes from $1,892.10 to $1,960.50, up $68.40.
One-off income in 2025. A single retiree with a $2,400 benefit had $100,000 of MAGI in 2024 but sold stock in 2025 and reported $120,000. The COLA adds $86, but 2025 income puts 2027 Part B in IRMAA tier 1: $293.30 instead of $209.50. The deposit goes down $4.40 a month, and Part D adds another $14.50 or so. In 2028 the premium drops back if 2026 income is lower.
| Item | 2026 | 2027 | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living adjustment | 2.8% | 3.6% | Official |
| Taxable maximum (Social Security tax) | $184,500 | $192,300 | Official |
| Earnings test, under full retirement age | $24,480/yr | $25,560/yr | Official |
| Earnings test, year you reach full retirement age | $65,160/yr | $67,920/yr | Official |
| Earnings for one work credit | $1,890 | $1,970 | Official |
| Maximum benefit at full retirement age | $4,152/mo | $4,188/mo | Official |
| Average retired worker | $2,095/mo | $2,170/mo | Official |
| SSI federal payment, individual / couple | $994 / $1,491 | $1,029 / $1,544 | Official |
| Disability SGA, non-blind / blind | $1,690 / $2,830 | $1,770 / $2,950 | Official |
| Medicare Part B standard premium | $202.90 | $209.50 | Projected |
| Medicare Part B deductible | $283 | $292 | Projected |
| IRMAA starts above (single / joint MAGI) | $109,000 / $218,000 | Indexed; CMS, November | Pending |
Official: SSA fact sheet, October 14, 2026. Projected: 2026 Medicare Trustees Report, intermediate assumptions; CMS publishes the 2027 Part B premium, deductible and IRMAA brackets in mid-November 2026, and this page will be updated the same day. The maximum benefit at full retirement age rises less than 3.6% because the 2027 figure is for a different birth cohort.
If you are under full retirement age all year, SSA withholds $1 of benefits for every $2 you earn above $25,560. Earn $40,000 and $7,220 is withheld, usually by holding back whole monthly payments at the start of the year. In the year you reach full retirement age, the limit is $67,920 and $1 is withheld for every $3 above it, counting only earnings before the month you reach that age. Withheld benefits are not lost: SSA raises your payment at full retirement age to credit the months it held back.
Still working at a high salary? Social Security tax of 6.2% now applies to the first $192,300 of wages, so the maximum employee contribution rises to $11,922.60. Our paycheck calculator shows the effect on take-home pay.
The brackets below are the 2026 brackets (based on 2024 income). The 2027 brackets, based on 2025 income, will be slightly higher because they rise with inflation. The 2027 premiums are projected amounts: the Trustees' standard premium multiplied by the statutory IRMAA shares of 35%, 50%, 65%, 80% and 85% of Part B cost instead of 25%.
| MAGI, single | MAGI, joint | Part B 2026 | Part B 2027 (projected) | Part D extra, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $109,000 or less | $218,000 or less | $202.90 | $209.50 | — |
| $109,000 – $137,000 | $218,000 – $274,000 | $284.10 | $293.30 | +$14.50 |
| $137,000 – $171,000 | $274,000 – $342,000 | $405.80 | $419.00 | +$37.50 |
| $171,000 – $205,000 | $342,000 – $410,000 | $527.50 | $544.70 | +$60.40 |
| $205,000 – under $500,000 | $410,000 – under $750,000 | $649.20 | $670.40 | +$83.30 |
| $500,000 or more | $750,000 or more | $689.90 | $712.30 | +$91.00 |
Married filing separately and lived with your spouse during the year: $649.20 (2026) above $109,000 and $689.90 from $391,000.
3.6%, announced by SSA on October 14, 2026. It is the largest increase since 2023 and is based on the rise in the CPI-W from the third quarter of 2025 to the third quarter of 2026. It applies to December 2026 benefits, which are paid in January 2027. SSI recipients get it first, in the payment dated December 31, 2026.
If your benefits started in May 1997 or later, on January 13, 20 or 27, 2027, depending on whether your birthday falls on the 1st–10th, 11th–20th or 21st–31st. If you started before May 1997 or also get SSI, the payment normally dated January 3 arrives on December 31, 2026, because January 3 is a Sunday and January 1 is a holiday.
CMS has not announced it yet; it normally does in mid-November 2026. The 2026 Medicare Trustees Report projects a standard premium of $209.50 a month, up $6.60 from $202.90, and a deductible of $292 (from $283). Last year the Trustees' projection for 2026 was $206.50 and the actual premium came in at $202.90, so treat the 2027 figure as an estimate.
Because of IRMAA. Your 2027 Medicare premium is based on your 2025 tax return. A Roth conversion, a home sale or a large capital gain in 2025 can push you over $109,000 (single) or $218,000 (joint), and the first IRMAA tier alone adds about $84 a month to Part B. If your income has since dropped because you retired, divorced or lost a spouse, you can ask SSA to use a more recent year with Form SSA-44.
If your Part B premium was deducted from your Social Security in November and December 2026 and you do not pay IRMAA, your premium increase cannot be larger than your dollar COLA, so your net payment cannot fall. With a 3.6% COLA and a projected $6.60 premium increase, it only matters for benefits below about $195 a month. It does not protect new Medicare enrollees or anyone paying IRMAA.
Possibly. The income thresholds for taxing benefits ($25,000 single and $32,000 joint for up to 50%; $34,000 and $44,000 for up to 85%) have never been indexed to inflation, so each COLA pushes more retirees over them. For tax years 2025 through 2028, people aged 65 and older can claim an extra deduction of up to $6,000 each, which phases out above $75,000 of MAGI ($150,000 joint).
COLA notices go to the Message Center of my Social Security accounts in late November 2026; paper notices arrive in December. To get yours online, create an account and choose paperless notices by November 18, 2026. The notice shows your new benefit, your Medicare deductions and your net payment.
An estimate, not an SSA notice. SSA applies the COLA to your unrounded primary insurance amount, so your actual 2027 benefit can differ by about $1. Medicare Advantage plans, state Medicare Savings Programs, tax withholding and other deductions are not included.