Social Security Changes for 2027 Beyond the 3.6% COLA

Every 2027 Social Security Change at a Glance

Every dollar figure in the table below rises for 2027, including the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payment standards, while both payroll tax rates stay the same.

The table compares each 2026 figure with its 2027 amount, taken from the SSA fact sheet.

Social Security benefits rise with the January 2027 payment for nearly 72 million beneficiaries. About 7.3 million SSI recipients get the increase starting December 31, 2026. Some people receive both, and SSA says it will apply the COLA for 76 million Americans.

Wage Base and Work Credits for People Who Work in 2027

The Social Security wage base, also called the maximum taxable earnings, rises to $192,300 in 2027. It was $184,500 in 2026, so the cap goes up by $7,800. Employees pay 6.2% for Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI), the Social Security part of payroll tax, on earnings up to that cap.

At the new cap, 6.2% of $192,300 comes to $11,922.60. Under the 2026 cap of $184,500, the same rate produced $11,439. A worker who earns at or above both caps pays $483.60 more in Social Security tax in 2027.

If your wages stay below $184,500, the higher cap does not change your Social Security tax. Wages between $184,500 and $192,300 become subject to the 6.2% tax.

The Medicare tax of 1.45% has no earnings limit, so it applies to all earnings. Together, 6.2% and 1.45% make up the 7.65% employee rate. Self-employed people pay 15.30%, the same rate as in 2026.

Earned income above $200,000, or $250,000 for married couples filing jointly, pays an additional 0.9% Medicare tax. That 0.9% is not part of the 7.65% rate.

One work credit, which SSA calls a quarter of coverage, takes $1,970 of earnings in 2027. That is $80 more than the $1,890 required in 2026.

2027 Earnings Test Limits for Claiming Before Full Retirement Age

If you claim Social Security before full retirement age, the 2027 earnings test lets you earn $25,560 a year before SSA withholds any benefits. That limit works out to $2,130 a month. It rises from $24,480 in 2026, an increase of $1,080.

Above the limit, SSA withholds $1 in benefits for every $2 you earn.

In the year you reach full retirement age, a higher limit of $67,920 a year applies, or $5,660 a month. It was $65,160 in 2026, so this limit rises by $2,760. It counts only earnings from the months before you reach full retirement age.

Above that higher limit, SSA withholds $1 for every $3 you earn. Starting the month you reach full retirement age, the earnings test has no limit at all.

If you are weighing when to start benefits, compare claiming ages in the Social Security break-even calculator. For which income counts toward these limits, read does retirement income count as income for Social Security. If you collect survivor benefits and work, read survivor benefits and working.

What the 2027 Social Security Changes Mean for Retirees

Social Security retirement benefits rise 3.6% for 2027, an average increase of $75 a month, according to the SSA press release. The Social Security Act ties the COLA to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). The 2027 COLA reflects the CPI-W increase from the third quarter of 2025 through the third quarter of 2026.

At 3.6%, this COLA is the largest since the 8.7% raise for 2023. The 2026 COLA was 2.8%. For more, see the SSA COLA page.

SSA estimates these average monthly benefits payable in January 2027, before and after the COLA:

The maximum benefit for a worker retiring at full retirement age rises to $4,188 a month. It was $4,152 in 2026, a $36 increase. To estimate your own raise, multiply your current monthly benefit by 0.036, or enter it in the Social Security COLA calculator.

If you have a personal my Social Security account, you can view your COLA notice online starting in late November. Online notices arrive up to three weeks earlier than the paper notice. Account holders can also choose text or email alerts.

If you do not have an account, create one and enroll in paperless notices by November 18 to see the notice online. Everyone else gets the notice by mail in December. The one-page notice lists the exact dates and dollar amounts of your new benefit and any deductions.

The 2027 Medicare Part B premium has not been announced. Information about 2027 Medicare changes will be posted on Medicare.gov. If you are enrolled in Medicare, your 2027 premium amount will appear in the my Social Security Message Center starting in late November.

For more on the raise itself, read the 2027 Social Security COLA guide. For income tax on benefits, read is Social Security taxable. If you receive a federal civil service or military pension, see the 2027 COLA for federal and military retirees.

2027 Changes for Disability Benefits and SSI

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits rise by the same 3.6% COLA starting with January 2027 payments. SSA estimates the average disabled worker's benefit at $1,642 before the COLA and $1,701 after it, a $59 increase. For a disabled worker with a spouse and one or more children, the estimate moves from $2,970 to $3,077.

The non-blind SGA amount rises from $1,690 to $1,770 a month. The blind SGA amount rises from $2,830 to $2,950 a month. The trial work period month threshold rises to $1,270 a month in 2027, up from $1,210 in 2026. The 2027 SSDI COLA guide lists every disability figure.

SSI payments rise starting December 31, 2026, for about 7.3 million recipients. The federal payment standard for an individual rises from $994 to $1,029 a month. For a couple, it rises from $1,491 to $1,544 a month.

The SSI student exclusion monthly limit rises from $2,410 to $2,500. The annual limit rises from $9,730 to $10,080. Read the 2027 SSI increase guide for the full SSI breakdown.

Social Security Rules That Stay the Same in 2027

Five Social Security rules carry over unchanged into 2027:

• The employee rate stays at 7.65%, made up of 6.2% for Social Security and 1.45% for Medicare.
• The self-employed rate stays at 15.30%.
• The Medicare tax has no earnings limit.
• The SSI resource limits stay at $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple.
• The earnings test has no limit starting the month you reach full retirement age.

To put the 2027 Social Security changes into your own numbers, open your COLA notice in my Social Security starting in late November and compare it with the SSA fact sheet.

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