Social Security's 2027 numbers are official. The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced them on October 14, 2026, and they take effect in January 2027. Benefits rise 3.6%. The retirement earnings limit goes to $25,560 a year ($67,920 in the year you reach full retirement age). The maximum earnings subject to Social Security tax rises to $192,300. One work credit takes $1,970 in earnings. The federal SSI payment becomes $1,029 a month for one person and $1,544 for a couple. Until January, the 2026 figures are still the ones in effect.
This page covers every 2027 change in one place, with 2026 and 2027 side by side. Each section links to a full guide if you need the details.
2026 vs 2027 Social Security Numbers at a Glance
All 2027 figures below come from SSA's 2027 cost-of-living adjustment fact sheet, published October 14, 2026.
| Item | 2026 | 2027 | Who it affects |
|---|
| Cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) | 2.8% | 3.6% | Everyone getting Social Security or SSI |
| Earnings limit, under full retirement age all year | $24,480/yr | $25,560/yr | Working beneficiaries under full retirement age |
| Earnings limit, year you reach full retirement age | $65,160/yr | $67,920/yr | Workers reaching full retirement age that year |
| Maximum taxable earnings (tax cap) | $184,500 | $192,300 | High earners |
| Earnings for one work credit | $1,890 | $1,970 | Anyone still building work credits |
| SSI federal payment, individual | $994/mo | $1,029/mo | SSI recipients |
| SSI federal payment, couple | $1,491/mo | $1,544/mo | SSI couples |
| Substantial gainful activity (SGA), not blind | $1,690/mo | $1,770/mo | SSDI and SSI disability |
| SGA, blind | $2,830/mo | $2,950/mo | Blind SSDI beneficiaries |
| Trial work period month | $1,210/mo | $1,270/mo | SSDI beneficiaries testing work |
1. The 2027 COLA Is 3.6%
Social Security and SSI payments rise 3.6% for 2027, up from 2.8% for 2026. SSA bases the COLA on the change in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) from the third quarter of 2025 to the third quarter of 2026. SSA says nearly 72 million Social Security beneficiaries and about 7.3 million SSI recipients will get the increase.
Here is what 3.6% adds to a few sample monthly benefits, before any Medicare premium is taken out:
| Monthly benefit in 2026 | Increase | Monthly benefit in 2027 |
|---|
| $1,000 | $36 | $1,036 |
| $1,500 | $54 | $1,554 |
| $2,000 | $72 | $2,072 |
| $2,500 | $90 | $2,590 |
SSA estimates the average retired worker's benefit goes from $2,095 to about $2,170 a month. For disabled workers, the average goes from about $1,642 to about $1,701. Your own amount depends on your earnings record, so check the letter SSA sends or your my Social Security account.
When the raise shows up:
- Social Security retirement, survivor and SSDI: the 3.6% starts with the January 2027 payment, paid on January 13, 20 or 27, 2027, depending on your birth date.
- SSI: the January 2027 payment arrives on December 31, 2026, because January 1 is a federal holiday. That payment already includes the increase.
Full details: Social Security COLA 2027, SSDI COLA 2027, and the 2027 Social Security payment schedule.
2. The Earnings Limit Rises to $25,560
If you collect Social Security before full retirement age and keep working, SSA can hold back part of your benefits when your earnings pass a yearly limit. This is the retirement earnings test. For 2027:
| Your situation in 2027 | Earnings limit | Amount withheld |
|---|
| Under full retirement age for all of 2027 | $25,560 a year | $1 for every $2 over the limit |
| Reaching full retirement age during 2027 | $67,920 a year | $1 for every $3 over the limit, counting only earnings before the month you reach full retirement age |
| At or past full retirement age | No limit | Nothing withheld |
Two details people miss:
- Withheld money is not gone for good. Once you reach full retirement age, SSA recalculates your benefit to credit the months it held back.
- Only wages and net self-employment earnings count. Pensions, investment income, interest and other government benefits do not count toward the limit.
Full details and worked examples: Social Security Earnings Limit 2027.
3. The Social Security Tax Cap Rises to $192,300
The Social Security payroll tax is 6.2% for employees and 6.2% for employers, paid only on earnings up to a yearly cap. For 2027 the cap rises to $192,300, up from $184,500.
| 2026 | 2027 |
|---|
| Maximum taxable earnings | $184,500 | $192,300 |
| Most an employee pays (6.2%) | $11,439.00 | $11,922.60 |
| Most a self-employed person pays (12.4%) | $22,878.00 | $23,845.20 |
| Medicare tax (1.45% each, employee and employer) | No cap | No cap |
If you earn under $184,500, nothing changes for you here. If you earn more, a larger share of your pay is taxed in 2027, and those earnings also count toward your future benefit. The extra 0.9% Medicare tax still starts above $200,000 for single filers and $250,000 for married couples filing jointly.
Full details: Social Security Maximum Taxable Earnings 2027.
4. One Work Credit Now Takes $1,970
You earn Social Security credits (SSA also calls them quarters of coverage) by working and paying Social Security tax. In 2027 you get one credit for each $1,970 in earnings, up from $1,890 in 2026. You can earn up to four credits a year, so $7,880 in 2027 earnings gets you all four.
Most people need 40 credits to qualify for retirement benefits. Disability benefits need fewer credits for younger workers, but most people still need some recent work. The credit amount rising does not take away credits you already have.
5. SSI Rises to $1,029 a Month
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a needs-based program for people who are 65 or older, blind or disabled and have little income and few resources. The federal payment for 2027:
| SSI federal payment | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|
| Individual | $994/mo | $1,029/mo |
| Couple (both eligible) | $1,491/mo | $1,544/mo |
These are maximums. SSA lowers the payment by your countable income, so many people get less. Some states add a supplement on top, and those 2027 state amounts are not all out yet. The resource limits stay at $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple. Congress sets those amounts in law and they do not rise with inflation.
Not sure which disability program fits you? See SSDI vs SSI.
6. Disability Work Limits Rise
If you get SSDI or SSI based on disability, SSA uses two monthly earnings figures to decide whether your work is too much.
| Disability work limit | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|
| Substantial gainful activity (SGA), not blind | $1,690/mo | $1,770/mo |
| SGA, blind | $2,830/mo | $2,950/mo |
| Trial work period month | $1,210/mo | $1,270/mo |
- SGA is the monthly earnings level SSA treats as substantial work. Earning above it after your trial work period can stop SSDI checks.
- A trial work month is any month you earn more than $1,270 in 2027. SSDI gives you nine trial work months within a rolling 60-month window, and your benefits continue during them.
7. Full Retirement Age Reaches 67
People born in 1960 turn 67 in 2027. For them, and for everyone born later, full retirement age is 67. That is the last step in the gradual increase Congress passed in 1983, so 2027 is the first year people reach a full retirement age of exactly 67. SSA treats someone born on January 1 as born in the previous year, so a January 1, 1960 birthday follows the 1959 rule (66 and 10 months).
Why this matters in 2027:
- If you were born in 1960 and are already collecting, the $67,920 earnings limit applies to you in the months before your 67th birthday month. After that, the limit goes away.
- If you claim before 67, your benefit is permanently reduced. Claiming at 62 cuts it by up to 30%.
- If you get SSDI, it converts to a retirement benefit automatically at full retirement age. You do not file a new claim, and the amount does not drop.
8. Medicare Costs for 2027
Most Social Security beneficiaries have their Medicare Part B premium taken out of their check, so Medicare costs decide how much of the COLA you actually keep.
| Medicare item | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|
| Part B standard monthly premium | $202.90 | Not announced yet |
| Part B annual deductible | $283 | Not announced yet |
| Part D yearly out-of-pocket cap | $2,100 | $2,400 |
As of October 28, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has not announced the 2027 Part B premium. CMS usually releases it in mid-November. Any 2027 Part B number you see before then is a projection, not the real premium. If your Part B premium goes up in 2027, it comes out of your January check, so the deposit you see can be smaller than a full 3.6% raise.
The Part D cap is final. In 2027 your out-of-pocket costs for covered drugs stop at $2,400 for the year.
9. Things That Stay the Same in 2027
Some rules people expect to change will not:
- Taxes on benefits: the income thresholds for paying federal income tax on Social Security are still $25,000 for single filers and $32,000 for married couples filing jointly. They are set in law and not adjusted for inflation.
- Senior tax deduction: the extra $6,000 deduction for people 65 and older (up to $12,000 for a married couple when both are 65 or older) covers tax years 2025 through 2028. It phases out above $75,000 in modified adjusted gross income ($150,000 for joint filers). It does not make Social Security tax-free. It lowers taxable income for anyone who qualifies, whatever the source of that income.
- Payment dates: retirement, survivor and SSDI payments still go out on the second, third or fourth Wednesday based on your birth date. SSI still comes on the 1st of the month, moved earlier when the 1st is a weekend or holiday.
- Payroll tax rate: 6.2% each for employee and employer, unchanged.
10. The Trust Fund Outlook
The 2026 Social Security Trustees Report, released in June 2026, projects that the retirement trust fund (OASI) runs out of reserves in late 2032. At that point, incoming payroll taxes would cover about 78% of scheduled retirement and survivor benefits. Combined with the disability fund, the projected date is 2034, with about 83% payable. These are projections under current law. Benefits are not cut in 2027, and Congress can change the law before those dates.
What to Do Before January 2027
- Check your COLA notice. SSA posts it to your my Social Security account and mails it in December. It shows your 2027 benefit and any Medicare premium deduction.
- Update your earnings estimate if you work. If you are under full retirement age and expect to earn more than $25,560 in 2027, tell SSA so it can withhold correctly. That way you will not get an overpayment notice later.
- Report work if you get disability benefits. SSDI and SSI recipients must report earnings. Use the 2027 SGA and trial work figures when you plan hours.
- Review Medicare plans. Medicare open enrollment runs October 15 to December 7, 2026, for 2027 coverage.
- Check other programs. A 3.6% increase can change how your income counts for SNAP, Medicaid, Medicare Savings Programs or Extra Help. Look at each one before you assume you still qualify, or that you still don't.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the biggest Social Security changes for 2027?
The 3.6% COLA, an earnings limit of $25,560 ($67,920 in the year you reach full retirement age), a tax cap of $192,300, $1,970 per work credit, and a federal SSI payment of $1,029 for an individual. SSA announced all of them on October 14, 2026, and they take effect in January 2027.
When does the 2027 COLA start?
For Social Security, with the January 2027 payment, paid January 13, 20 or 27 depending on your birth date. For SSI, with the payment that arrives December 31, 2026.
Are the 2026 figures still in effect now?
Yes. Through December 2026, the 2026 figures apply: $994 SSI, a $24,480 earnings limit and a $184,500 tax cap. The 2027 figures replace them in January.
Is there a new Social Security rule for working in 2027?
The rule is the same. Only the dollar limits rose. Under full retirement age, SSA withholds $1 for every $2 you earn above $25,560. In the year you reach full retirement age, it withholds $1 for every $3 above $67,920. From the month you reach full retirement age on, there is no limit.
What is the 2027 Medicare Part B premium?
CMS had not announced it as of October 28, 2026. The 2026 premium is $202.90 a month. CMS usually publishes the next year's premium in mid-November.
Will the 3.6% COLA reduce my other benefits?
It can. Programs like SNAP, Medicaid and the Medicare Savings Programs count Social Security as income, so a higher check can lower another benefit or push you closer to an income limit. SSI is reduced dollar for dollar (after a $20 general exclusion) by Social Security income. Because the SSI payment standard also rises 3.6%, many people who get both see their combined total go up.
Does the 2027 tax cap affect my benefits?
Only if you earn more than $184,500. Earnings up to the new $192,300 cap are taxed, and they also count toward the benefit you get later.
