SSDI and SSI benefits are going up 3.6% in 2027, the result of an automatic yearly cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) that's based on inflation. Find out how much you can expect your monthly disability benefit to increase.
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Yes, if you get Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) or SSI disability benefits, your monthly payment goes up automatically in most years through a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). The increase is tied to inflation. It's meant to keep your benefits from losing buying power as prices rise. For 2027, the COLA is 3.6%, which raises the average SSDI payment by $59 a month (to $1,701) and the maximum federal SSI payment for an individual to $1,029. You don't have to apply for the increase.
Read on to see how much SSDI and SSI payments are going up in 2027, when your first larger payment will arrive, and why some critics say the increase isn't big enough.
How Much Is the Social Security COLA for 2027?
Social Security has announced that the COLA for 2027 is 3.6% for all Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. This is a bit higher than last year's COLA of 2.8%, due to an increase in inflation. Here are the COLA increases over the last decade:
|
Year |
COLA |
Year |
COLA |
|---|---|---|---|
|
2014 |
1.5% |
2021 |
1.3% |
|
2015 |
1.7% |
2022 |
5.9% |
|
2016 |
0.0% |
2023 |
8.7% |
|
2017 |
0.3% |
2024 |
3.2% |
|
2018 |
2.0% |
2025 |
2.5% |
|
2019 |
2.8% |
2026 |
2.8% |
|
2020 |
1.6% |
2027 |
3.6% |
How Much Will SSDI and SSI Payments Go Up in 2027?
For 2027, the maximum federal SSI payment is increasing by $35 per month for an individual (up to $1,029 per month from $994) and $53 per month for a couple, if both spouses are eligible for SSI (up to $1,544 per month).
The average increase to the monthly SSDI payment will be $59 per month in 2027 (up to $1,701 from $1,642).
Many more figures are changing in 2027 because of the COLA, such as the substantial gainful activity limit; check for an update in our article on the most important changes for disability recipients in 2027.
The Purpose of Social Security's COLA
The purpose of the COLA is to make sure that inflation (what happens when the prices of goods and services rise) doesn't lead to your benefits not being enough to purchase the basic things you need to live. For example, if one year the cost of goods and services were to cost twice as much on average as the year before, you would only be able to buy half as many goods and services with the same amount of money.
When Do You Get a COLA From Social Security?
Each year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics in the federal Department of Labor determines the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W). The CPI-W is a measure of the average change over time in the prices people pay for goods and services. The Social Security Administration (SSA) uses the CPI-W to determine if there will be a COLA.
In order for there to be a COLA in a given year, the CPI-W from the third quarter of the previous year is compared to the CPI-W from the third quarter of the current year. If the CPI-W has increased by less than 0.05%, or if the CPI-W actually decreased, there will be no COLA. If the CPI-W increased by at least 0.1%, there will be a COLA increase in January of the next year.
For example, the 2027 COLA is based on the increase in the CPI-W from the third quarter of 2025 through the third quarter of 2026.
What Is the COLA Controversy?
Some observers and many Social Security recipients think the annual COLA isn't high enough. One argument is that the CPI-W isn't an accurate measure of inflation's impact on seniors, and that the Consumer Price Index - Elderly (CPI-E) should be used instead. The CPI-E is a measure that gives greater weight to goods and services used disproportionately by seniors—medical care, for example.
Are Social Security COLAs Automatic?
COLA increases are automatic. If the CPI-W has increased enough, you'll automatically receive a cost-of-living increase in your benefits. You don't have to ask the SSA or apply for it.
People receiving SSDI benefits will receive the increased benefit starting in January of the year the COLA applies to, while people receiving SSI will get their first increased payment in December of the year before. For instance, SSI recipients received their first increased payment due to the 2027 COLA on December 31, 2026.
For the details, see our calendar of payment dates for SSDI and SSI.
