Key facts
- The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) projects the 2027 Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to be 3.6%.
- This projection is down from TSCL's previous forecast of 3.9%.
- The COLA is determined by the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) between the third quarters of consecutive years.
- The Social Security Administration (SSA) will release the official 2027 COLA on October 14.
The estimated cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for Social Security benefits in 2027 is projected to be 3.6%, according to the Senior Citizens League (TSCL). This figure is a slight decrease from the 3.9% TSCL had previously forecast. The annual COLA is designed to help Social Security recipients keep pace with inflation, as their benefits are fixed for the year. The calculation is based on the change in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) between the third quarters of the current and previous years. The official COLA for 2027 will be announced by the Social Security Administration (SSA) on October 14. While a lower projection might disappoint some recipients, it could also indicate a cooling inflation environment. However, the COLA is retroactive, meaning it's based on past inflation and may not fully cover current living costs, as seen with the 2.8% COLA for 2026 which lagged behind the 3.4% year-over-year CPI-W increase reported in July.