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Social Security Payments: Dates, Amounts and the 2027 COLA

By KPCB StaffCombined Expertise In The Low Income Housing Space For 10 Years · How we write our guides

Social Security and SSI payments will go up 3.6% in 2027. Social Security checks get the raise starting with January 2027 payments, and SSI recipients get it with the payment that arrives on December 31, 2026. Your payment day depends on your birth date and the type of benefit you get. The full schedule through December 2027 is below.

How much payments are going up

The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2027. SSA says it affects nearly 72 million Social Security beneficiaries and about 7.3 million SSI recipients. Some people get both.

Here are SSA's official amounts for 2026 and 2027.

Amount20262027
Maximum benefit for a worker retiring at full retirement age$4,152$4,188
SSI federal maximum, individual$994$1,029
SSI federal maximum, couple$1,491$1,544
SSI resource limit, individual / couple$2,000 / $3,000$2,000 / $3,000

Your own raise depends on your benefit. SSA estimates that the average retired worker's benefit will go from $2,095 to $2,170 a month in January 2027, about $75 more. For an aged couple who both get benefits, SSA's estimate goes from $3,238 to $3,355. For the average disabled worker, it goes from $1,642 to $1,701.

The SSI amounts are federal maximums. SSA lowers your SSI payment by your countable income, and some states add a supplement on top, so your check may be lower or higher than the table shows. The 2027 federal rate for an essential person is $516.

How SSA figures the COLA

By law, SSA bases the COLA on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), which the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes. SSA compares the average CPI-W for July through September of this year with the same months of the last year a COLA took effect.

For 2027, the third-quarter average rose from 317.265 in 2025 to 328.746 in 2026. That is a 3.6% increase. The 2026 COLA was 2.8%. If prices don't rise, there is no COLA for that year.

When Social Security payments arrive

Most people who started benefits after May 1997 are paid on a Wednesday. Which Wednesday depends on the birth date of the person whose work record you're paid on.

Birth datePayment day
1st to 10thSecond Wednesday of the month
11th to 20thThird Wednesday of the month
21st to 31stFourth Wednesday of the month

If you get retirement benefits on your own work record, your own birth date sets the day. If you get benefits based on your spouse's work, SSA uses your spouse's birth date.

There are two exceptions. You're paid on the 3rd of the month if you started getting Social Security before May 1997, or if you get both Social Security and SSI. People in the second group get SSI on the 1st and Social Security on the 3rd.

When SSI payments arrive

SSI is paid on the 1st of the month. When the 1st falls on a weekend or holiday, SSA pays it on the business day before.

This sometimes puts two SSI payments in one month and none in the next. In October 2026, for example, SSI arrives on October 1 and again on October 30. The October 30 deposit is your November payment, so nothing comes on November 1. Budget for it as next month's money.

SSI payments for January always arrive at the end of December, because January 1 is a holiday. That is why the SSI increase shows up on December 31, 2026.

Payment dates, October 2026 to December 2027

These dates come from SSA's official 2026 and 2027 payment calendars. The "3rd of month" column is for people who started benefits before May 1997 or who get both Social Security and SSI.

MonthSSI3rd of month2nd Wednesday3rd Wednesday4th Wednesday
Oct 2026Oct 1, and Oct 30 (for November)Oct 2Oct 14Oct 21Oct 28
Nov 2026Paid Oct 30Nov 3Nov 10 (Tuesday)Nov 18Nov 25
Dec 2026Dec 1, and Dec 31 (for January)Dec 3, and Dec 31 (for January)Dec 9Dec 16Dec 23
Jan 2027Paid Dec 31Paid Dec 31Jan 13Jan 20Jan 27
Feb 2027Feb 1Feb 3Feb 10Feb 17Feb 24
Mar 2027Mar 1Mar 3Mar 10Mar 17Mar 24
Apr 2027Apr 1, and Apr 30 (for May)Apr 2Apr 14Apr 21Apr 28
May 2027Paid Apr 30May 3May 12May 19May 26
Jun 2027Jun 1Jun 3Jun 9Jun 16Jun 23
Jul 2027Jul 1, and Jul 30 (for August)Jul 2Jul 14Jul 21Jul 28
Aug 2027Paid Jul 30Aug 3Aug 11Aug 18Aug 25
Sep 2027Sep 1Sep 3Sep 8Sep 15Sep 22
Oct 2027Oct 1Oct 1Oct 13Oct 20Oct 27
Nov 2027Nov 1Nov 3Nov 10Nov 17Nov 24
Dec 2027Dec 1, and Dec 30 (for January 2028)Dec 3Dec 8Dec 15Dec 22

You can download the printable calendars from SSA's Schedule of Social Security Payments page. To see your own past and upcoming payment dates, sign in to my Social Security or use SSA's benefit payment schedule page.

Other 2027 changes that may affect you

If you work while collecting Social Security before full retirement age, the 2027 earnings limit is $25,560 a year ($2,130 a month). SSA holds back $1 in benefits for every $2 you earn above that.

In the year you reach full retirement age, the limit is $67,920 ($5,660 a month). SSA holds back $1 for every $3 above it, counting only earnings in the months before you reach full retirement age. Starting the month you reach full retirement age, there is no limit.

For people on Social Security disability, the substantial gainful activity (SGA) amount rises to $1,770 a month in 2027, or $2,950 if you are blind. The trial work period amount rises to $1,270 a month. For a plain explanation of how the two disability programs differ, see our guide to SSDI vs. SSI.

For workers, the maximum earnings subject to Social Security tax rise to $192,300. One work credit takes $1,970 in earnings in 2027.

Finding your new 2027 amount

SSA sends each person a COLA notice with their new benefit amount.

  1. If you have a my Social Security account created by November 18, 2026, your notice will be in the account's Message Center in late November 2026.
  2. If you don't use the online account, your notice comes by mail in December.
  3. If you have Medicare, SSA says your new 2027 benefit amount will be in the December mailed notice and in the Message Center. Medicare's 2027 changes will be posted at medicare.gov or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).

You can choose to get notices online instead of by mail when you sign in. Opening an account is free. You'll need an email address, a government-issued photo ID and a phone number to set it up through Login.gov.

If your payment is late or missing

  1. Check the date in the table above or in your my Social Security account. Holidays and weekends move some dates earlier.
  2. If the payment doesn't come on the expected date, SSA's payment calendar asks you to allow three more mailing days before contacting them.
  3. If you get your money electronically, call your bank or financial institution first. SSA says banks sometimes post payments late.
  4. If the money still hasn't arrived, call SSA at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). Representatives answer from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time, Monday through Friday. You can also call or visit your local Social Security office.

SSA's automated phone line is open 24 hours a day in English and Spanish. When you hear "How can I help you today?" say "check delivery" to hear your payment information.

Watch for scams around the COLA

SSA's services are free. SSA says no government agency or reputable company will ask for advance fees by wire transfer or gift card. Don't give personal information to anyone who contacts you about your raise, and don't open links or attachments in unexpected messages. Report suspected fraud at oig.ssa.gov/report or call the Inspector General's Fraud Hotline at 1-800-269-0271 (TTY 1-866-501-2101).

Getting more help with costs

A bigger check may still leave you short. If you get SSI, SSA says you may automatically qualify for Medicaid in most states, and you can get SNAP information and an application at your local Social Security office. SSI counts as income for SNAP. Our SNAP eligibility guide explains how to apply.

For utility bills, see our guide to LIHEAP energy assistance. To check several programs at once, try the KPCB Edge benefit finder. Applying for these programs is free, and only the agency that runs each one decides who qualifies.

Frequently asked questions

When will I see the 2027 COLA in my check?

Social Security beneficiaries get the 3.6% increase starting with January 2027 payments. SSI recipients get it in the payment that arrives December 31, 2026, which is the January SSI payment.

Why did I get two SSI payments in one month?

When the 1st of a month falls on a weekend or holiday, SSA pays SSI on the business day before. One of the two payments is for the next month, so you won't get a payment on the 1st of that month.

My birthday is on the 15th. When do I get paid?

If you started benefits after May 1997 and get only Social Security, you're paid on the third Wednesday of each month. If you're paid on a spouse's record, the spouse's birth date decides the day instead.

How much is SSI in 2027?

The federal maximum is $1,029 a month for an individual and $1,544 for a couple. Your actual payment may be lower if you have countable income, and some states add a supplement.

Do I need to do anything to get the COLA?

No. SSA applies it automatically. Check your COLA notice online in late November or by mail in December to confirm your new amount.

Who do I call if my payment doesn't come?

Call your bank first if you use direct deposit. Then call SSA at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time, Monday through Friday.

Sources

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