Short answer
How much is the 2027 Social Security COLA?
Social Security and SSI benefits rise 3.6 percent in 2027, starting with January 2027 Social Security payments and the SSI payment dated December 31, 2026. (SSA, COLA information for 2027) The 2027 SSI federal maximum is $1,029 a month for an individual and $1,544 for a couple (official). (SSA, SSI federal payment amounts) The raise counts as income, so it may affect SNAP, Extra Help, and Medicare Savings Programs, depending on how close you are to a limit.
| Fact | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 COLA | 3.6 percent | SSA |
| First payments at the new rate | SSI: December 31, 2026. Social Security: January 2027 | SSA |
| SSI federal maximum, 2027 | $1,029 individual, $1,544 couple, per month (official) | SSA |
| Part B standard premium | $202.90 a month in 2026 (official 2026 figure); CMS announces 2027 separately | CMS |
| Extra Help limits, 2026 | Income $23,940 individual, $32,460 couple; resources $18,090 individual, $36,100 couple (official); 2027 not yet published | Medicare.gov |
| SNAP net income limit, FY 2027 | $1,330 a month for 1 person (official) | USDA FNA |
Source: SSA, Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Information for 2027 Verified .
SSA, CMS, and your state decide your benefits and eligibility. Dollar examples are estimated. Benefit Bull is free, never applies for you, and never enrolls you in anything.
How big is the 2027 raise, and when does it start?
Social Security and SSI benefits rise 3.6 percent in 2027. The raise starts with Social Security benefits paid in January 2027, and increased SSI payments begin on December 31, 2026. (SSA, COLA information for 2027)
An example, for illustration only: a Social Security check of an estimated $1,500 a month would go up by about an estimated $54, to about an estimated $1,554, before any Medicare premium is taken out. Your notice will show your own amount. (SSA, COLA information for 2027)
SSA says COLA notices will be in the Message Center of most people's my Social Security account in late November 2026, and people who get Medicare will see their new 2027 benefit amount in December through the mailed notice and the Message Center. (SSA, COLA information for 2027)
Save your COLA notice when it arrives. Programs like SNAP, Extra Help, and Medicare Savings Programs may ask for your new benefit amount.
What are the 2027 SSI maximums?
| Recipient | 2027 monthly maximum (official) |
|---|---|
| Individual | $1,029 |
| Couple | $1,544 |
These are the federal maximums. (SSA, SSI federal payment amounts) The first payment at the new rate is the one dated December 31, 2026. (SSA, COLA information for 2027) If every member of your household gets SSI, USDA says your household may be considered categorically eligible for SNAP. (USDA FNA, SNAP eligibility)
If your SSI check is lower than the maximum, that is usually because other income counts. Your SSA notice explains how it was figured.
What happens to your Medicare Part B premium?
The 2026 standard Part B premium is $202.90 a month (official 2026 figure). (CMS, 2026 Part B premium) CMS announces the 2027 amount separately from the COLA, and SSA says information about 2027 Medicare changes will be on Medicare.gov. (SSA, COLA information for 2027) We will not guess the 2027 premium here.
A federal rule, often called hold harmless, protects many people. If your Part B premium is taken out of your Social Security check in November and December and you do not pay the higher income-related premium, the premium increase cannot be large enough to make your net check smaller than it was the month before the raise. (42 U.S.C. 1395r(f)) In plain terms, your check after the premium should not go down because of a Part B increase.
If a Medicare Savings Program pays your Part B premium, the premium is not taken out of your check. (Medicare.gov, Medicare Savings Programs)
Compare your December notice with your current check. The notice shows the new benefit, the Part B amount, and what you will actually receive.
Could the raise affect Extra Help?
| Situation | Yearly income limit, 2026 (official) | Resource limit, 2026 (official) |
|---|---|---|
| Individual | $23,940 | $18,090 |
| Married couple | $32,460 | $36,100 |
Extra Help lowers Medicare drug costs for people with limited income and resources. (Medicare.gov, Help with drug costs) The $23,940 limit works out to about an estimated $1,995 a month. If your income was just under the 2026 limit, a 3.6 percent raise can bring it close to the line or over the 2026 figure.
The 2027 limits had not been published as of October 22, 2026: Medicare.gov still shows the 2026 figures, and the CMS memo that sets 2027 resource limits was not posted. (Medicare.gov, Help with drug costs) Some people get Extra Help automatically, including people in a Medicare Savings Program or getting SSI. (Medicare.gov, Help with drug costs)
Do not drop your drug plan or Extra Help because of the raise. Wait for any notice from Medicare or Social Security, and check the 2027 limits when they are posted.
Could the raise lower your SNAP?
SNAP counts Social Security as unearned income. (7 CFR 273.9) Your state treats the COLA as a mass change and applies it to everyone at once, and it may tell you through a general notice rather than a letter written just for you. (7 CFR 273.12)
Because SNAP expects a household to spend about 30 percent of its net income on food, each dollar of new net income lowers the benefit by about 30 cents. (USDA FNA, SNAP eligibility) In the example above, a raise of about an estimated $54 could lower SNAP by about an estimated $16 a month, if nothing else changed. Your state does the real math.
| Household size | Net monthly income limit (official) | Gross monthly income limit (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1,330 | $1,729 |
| 2 | $1,804 | $2,345 |
If someone in your household is 60 or older or has a disability, the household only has to meet the net income limit, not the gross limit. Such households may also deduct medical costs over $35 a month (official threshold) that are not paid by insurance, and their shelter deduction is not capped. (USDA FNA, SNAP eligibility) (USDA FNA, SNAP FY 2027 COLA) For the full list of reasons a benefit drops, see Why Did My SNAP Benefits Go Down?
Report medical bills and housing costs to your SNAP office. For older and disabled households, those deductions can offset part of the raise.
What about Medicare Savings Programs?
| Program | Individual income (official) | Couple income (official) |
|---|---|---|
| QMB | $1,350 | $1,824 |
| SLMB | $1,616 | $2,184 |
| QI | $1,816 | $2,455 |
The 2026 resource limit is $9,950 for one person and $14,910 for a couple (official). Medicare.gov says you may qualify in some states even if your income or resources are higher, and to apply even if you are not sure you fit the limits. You apply through your state. (Medicare.gov, Medicare Savings Programs)
For QMB, federal law does not count the COLA increase as income during the months of the year through the month after the new federal poverty guidelines are published. (42 U.S.C. 1396d(p)(2)(D)) That gives the new poverty limits time to catch up with the raise. Ask your state how it handles SLMB and QI.
If you are near a limit, apply or renew anyway. Your state decides, and many states use limits above the federal ones.
What 2027 COLA numbers matter?
- 3.6%
- Social Security and SSI raise for 2027 (SSA)
- $1,029
- Official 2027 SSI federal maximum for an individual, per month
- $202.90
- Official 2026 standard Part B premium; the 2027 amount comes from CMS
- 30 cents
- About how much SNAP drops for each new dollar of net income (estimated)
See which programs may fit your household after the raise, with estimated values and official links.
Sources: (SSA, COLA information for 2027) (SSA, SSI federal payment amounts) (CMS, 2026 Part B premium) (USDA FNA, SNAP eligibility)
What this adds up to
The 3.6 percent raise reaches SSI on December 31, 2026 and Social Security in January 2027, and the 2027 SSI maximum is $1,029 for one person (official). (SSA, COLA information for 2027) (SSA, SSI federal payment amounts) Your net check should not shrink because of a Part B increase if the hold harmless rule applies to you. (42 U.S.C. 1395r(f)) Because the raise counts as income, check Extra Help, SNAP, and Medicare Savings Programs if you are near a limit, report medical and housing costs to SNAP, and apply or renew rather than assume you no longer fit. (Medicare.gov, Help with drug costs) (USDA FNA, SNAP eligibility) (Medicare.gov, Medicare Savings Programs) You apply yourself; Benefit Bull walks you through it and never applies for you.
Sources
Every claim above links to the source it came from. Figures checked October 2026. Last updated October 23, 2026.
- Social Security Administration, Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Information for 2027 (accessed October 22, 2026)
- Social Security Administration, SSI Federal Payment Amounts (accessed October 22, 2026)
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 2026 Medicare Parts A and B Premiums and Deductibles (accessed October 22, 2026)
- U.S. Government Publishing Office, 42 U.S.C. 1395r, Amount of premiums (subsection (f), limitation on increase) (accessed October 22, 2026)
- Medicare.gov, Help with drug costs (Extra Help) (accessed October 22, 2026)
- Medicare.gov, Medicare Savings Programs (accessed October 22, 2026)
- U.S. Government Publishing Office, 42 U.S.C. 1396d(p)(2)(D), QMB income and the COLA (accessed October 22, 2026)
- USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, SNAP Eligibility (accessed October 22, 2026)
- USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, SNAP Cost-of-Living Adjustment, FY 2027 (accessed October 22, 2026)
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 7 CFR 273.9, Income and deductions (accessed October 22, 2026)
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 7 CFR 273.12, Reporting requirements (mass changes) (accessed October 22, 2026)
