SSI Increase 2027 Brings the Federal Maximum to $1,029 a Month

2027 SSI Payment Amounts

The federal SSI payment standard for 2027 is $1,029 a month for an individual and $1,544 a month for an eligible couple. The SSA 2027 COLA fact sheet lists those amounts, up from $994 and $1,491.

Both increases follow the 3.6 percent COLA that SSA announced for 2027. For an individual, the federal maximum rises by $35 a month. Twelve payments at $1,029 add up to $12,348.

For a couple, the federal maximum rises by $53 a month. Twelve payments at $1,544 add up to $18,528. Over twelve payments, the yearly gain is $420 for an individual and $636 for a couple.

These figures are the federal maximums, before any state supplement and before any reduction for countable income. To run the same 3.6 percent raise on a Social Security benefit, use the Social Security COLA calculator.

When the First 2027 SSI Increase Is Paid

The first SSI payment at the 2027 amounts is paid on December 31, 2026. SSA says increased payments to about 7.3 million people receiving SSI begin on that date.

Social Security benefits rise on a different schedule. Nearly 72 million Social Security beneficiaries see the 3.6 percent COLA beginning in January 2027. Some people receive both SSI and Social Security, and SSA says it will apply the COLA for 76 million Americans in all.

Look for the higher amount in your SSI payment on December 31, 2026. Your COLA notice lists the exact date and dollar amount of your new benefit.

Why Your SSI Check Can Differ from $1,029

Your SSI check can differ from $1,029 because that figure is the federal maximum for an individual. These things affect the amount you actually receive:

• **The federal payment standard.** It is $1,029 for an individual or $1,544 for a couple in 2027.
• **Countable income.** Countable income can lower your payment below the federal maximum.
• **A state supplement.** Some states add money on top of the federal payment, which can raise your total above $1,029.

If you get both Social Security and SSI, both payments change. The Social Security payment rises beginning in January 2027. The SSI payment rises with the December 31, 2026 payment.

For all disabled workers, SSA estimates the average monthly Social Security benefit at $1,642 before the COLA. After the COLA, the January 2027 estimate is $1,701. The 2027 SSDI COLA guide covers disability benefits in more detail.

Your one-page COLA notice shows the exact dates and dollar amounts of your new benefit and any deductions. Read it in my Social Security starting in late November.

How Countable Income Lowers a 2027 SSI Check

An SSI check equals the federal payment standard minus the recipient's countable income, so the 2027 maximum of $1,029 drops by every dollar SSA counts. The SSA 2027 COLA fact sheet sets that standard, up from $994 in 2026. When countable income goes over the allowable limit, no SSI is paid.

SSA's SSI Income page lays out two steps. First, subtract the income SSA does not count from total gross income, and what remains is countable income. Then subtract countable income from the federal benefit rate to get the monthly SSI federal benefit.

Earned income covers wages and net earnings from self-employment. Unearned income includes Social Security benefits, pensions, unemployment benefits, interest, and cash from friends or relatives. SSA does not count SNAP (food stamps) or income tax refunds. Since September 30, 2024, the value of food no longer reduces an SSI payment.

SSA's worked examples exclude the first $20 of income, so a $300 Social Security benefit counts as $280. For wages, SSA also drops the first $65 of earnings in a month and counts half of what is left. On $317 in wages, that leaves $232 after both exclusions, and half of it, $116, is countable.

SSA runs these same examples at the 2026 rate of $994, where they produce checks of $714 and $878. A federally administered state supplement, where a state has one, is added on top of the federal benefit, and the amount varies by state. To estimate a 2027 SSI check, add up your gross monthly income, subtract the exclusions above, and subtract what remains from $1,029.

2027 SSI Resource Limits and Student Exclusion

The SSI resource limits for 2027 are unchanged at $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple.

If you expect an inheritance, read the guide to SSI and an inheritance with the $2,000 and $3,000 limits in mind.

The SSI student exclusion does rise for 2027, with both a monthly limit and an annual limit.

The monthly limit goes up by $90. The annual limit goes up by $350.

How the 3.6% COLA for 2027 Was Set

The 3.6 percent COLA for 2027 is based on the increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). The measurement runs from the third quarter of 2025 through the third quarter of 2026. The Social Security Act ties the COLA to the CPI-W.

The 2027 COLA is the largest since 2023.

The same 3.6 percent applies to Social Security benefits. The 2027 Social Security COLA guide walks through the raise for retirement benefits.

Other 2027 Figures in the SSA Fact Sheet

The SSA 2027 fact sheet lists work and earnings figures alongside the SSI amounts.

The maximum Social Security benefit for a worker retiring at full retirement age rises from $4,152 to $4,188 a month. The tax rate stays at 7.65 percent for employees and 15.30 percent for the self-employed.

If you also expect Social Security retirement benefits, the Social Security retirement calculator estimates a monthly benefit.

Your 2027 COLA Notice and How to Read It Online

SSA's 2027 COLA notice is a simplified one-page letter with the exact dates and dollar amounts of your new benefit and any deductions. When and how you see it depends on whether you have a my Social Security account:

• **With an account:** view the notice online starting in late November, up to three weeks earlier than the paper notice.
• **Without an account:** create one and enroll in paperless notices by November 18 to see the notice online.
• **Everyone else:** the notice arrives by mail in December.

Account holders can also choose text or email alerts. For Medicare enrollees, the 2027 premium amount appears in the my Social Security Message Center starting in late November.

The 2027 Medicare Part B premium has not been announced. Information about Medicare changes for 2027 will be posted at Medicare.gov.

The official percentage and program figures are on the SSA COLA page. Before November 18, sign in or create an account at my Social Security and turn on paperless notices so you can read your 2027 SSI amount in late November.

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