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Social Security COLA 2027: Expected Release Date and What to Do Next

The 2027 Social Security COLA is not official yet. See why Oct. 14 is the expected announcement date, current forecasts, and what to check next.

By Buzz & Proof Editorial DeskRevision 2

The 2027 Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) has not been announced yet. The current expectation is that the figure will become known on October 14, 2026, after the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases September inflation data. The BLS release calendar schedules the September 2026 Consumer Price Index report for 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time that day. AARP and The Senior Citizens League also identify October 14 as the expected COLA announcement date, but SSA has not yet posted a 2027 COLA announcement page.

Quick answer

As of August 27, 2026, the 2027 COLA is not official. AARP projects 3.5%, while The Senior Citizens League projects 3.6%. Both estimates were published August 12 and can change after August and September CPI-W data are available. If the usual timetable holds, the official percentage should be known on October 14 and would first affect Social Security benefits payable for December 2026, which beneficiaries receive in January 2027.

Why October 14 is the expected date

Social Security cannot calculate the annual COLA until all three months of third-quarter CPI-W data—July, August and September—are available. BLS has scheduled the September 2026 CPI release for October 14, 2026. That makes October 14 the logical date for the final calculation and is why AARP, The Senior Citizens League and major news outlets point to it.

There is still an important distinction: the BLS calendar officially confirms the inflation-data release, not a separate SSA promise to publish at a particular hour. Treat October 14 as the expected announcement date until SSA publishes its own 2027 notice.

What the latest forecasts say

Two widely cited estimates currently fall in a narrow range:

  • AARP: 3.5%. AARP says its August 12 forecast uses available CPI-W data and inflation projections for the two remaining months.
  • The Senior Citizens League: 3.6%. TSCL's August 12 projection was based on the July inflation report and was lower than its 3.8% estimate one month earlier.

These are forecasts, not competing official rates. Energy, food and other price changes in August and September can move the final result. Do not build a 2027 budget around either percentage yet.

How Social Security calculates the COLA

The Social Security Administration says the COLA is based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, or CPI-W. SSA compares the average CPI-W for July, August and September 2026 with the average for the same three months in the last year a COLA became effective. Any increase is rounded to the nearest one-tenth of 1%. If there is no increase—or the rounded increase is zero—there is no COLA.

This means a single monthly inflation headline does not determine the final adjustment. All three third-quarter CPI-W readings matter.

When would the increase appear in payments?

SSA explains that annual COLAs are effective for December benefits and are first payable the following January. Therefore, any 2027 increase would apply to Social Security benefits payable for December 2026 and received in January 2027.

Your exact dollar increase will depend on your own benefit amount. The percentage forecast alone cannot tell you the final deposit amount, and the official figure should be confirmed before making financial commitments.

What to do next

  1. Treat 3.5% and 3.6% as estimates. Neither figure is official.
  2. Watch the September CPI release on October 14. BLS currently schedules it for 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time.
  3. Confirm the final percentage on SSA.gov. Use SSA's COLA page or your my Social Security account rather than relying on a headline or social-media post.
  4. Check your personal notice later in the year. SSA normally provides beneficiaries with their updated benefit information before the new payment amount begins.
  5. Revisit your January budget only after the official number and your personal benefit amount are available.

Bottom line

The best current answer is: October 14, 2026 is the expected date for the 2027 Social Security COLA to become known, but the percentage is not official yet. Current forecasts cluster around 3.5% to 3.6%. The final number depends on complete third-quarter CPI-W data and should be verified through SSA when released.