The Senior Citizens League projects a 3.6% Social Security cost-of-living adjustment for 2027, down from its 3.8% estimate in July.
A 3.6% adjustment would add about $69.75 to the average monthly benefit used in the group’s analysis, raising it from $1,937.53 to $2,007.28.
The estimate remains preliminary, with August and September inflation figures still to be included before the official adjustment is announced in October.
Social Security recipients could receive a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment in 2027, according to a new projection from The Senior Citizens League. However, two months of inflation data remain before the final figure is determined.
The nonpartisan seniors’ advocacy group lowered its forecast from 3.8% in July. Despite that decline, the projected adjustment would be 0.8 percentage points higher than the 2.8% increase beneficiaries received for 2026.
If a 3.6% adjustment took effect using the average benefit cited by the group, monthly payments would rise by approximately $69.75, from $1,937.53 to $2,007.28. The actual increase for each recipient would depend on the person’s current benefit.
The forecast was updated after the release of July inflation figures, the first of three months used in calculating the annual Social Security adjustment. The official COLA is based on the average Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, or CPI-W, during July, August, and September, compared with the corresponding average from the previous year.
August and September prices are key
Because data for August and September are not yet available, the 3.6% figure remains subject to change. The Social Security Administration is expected to announce the official 2027 adjustment in October, with higher payments beginning in January.
The Senior Citizens League produces a new forecast each month using a statistical model that incorporates consumer prices, interest rates, and the national unemployment rate. Its estimates change as economic conditions and new inflation data emerge.
For beneficiaries, a larger COLA can help offset rising household expenses, but it does not necessarily translate into an equivalent improvement in purchasing power. Older Americans often devote a substantial share of their income to housing, healthcare, insurance, utilities, and food. Increases in Medicare premiums can also absorb part of the additional Social Security income received by beneficiaries enrolled in the program.
Mark HuffmanReporter
Mark Huffman has been a consumer news reporter for ConsumerAffairs since 2004. He covers real estate, gas prices and the economy and has reported extensively on negative-option sales. He was previously an Associated Press reporter and editor in Washington, D.C., a correspondent for Westwood One Radio Networks and Marketwatch.
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