Your Social Security check

Your 2027 Social Security COLA Notice: When It Arrives and How to Read It

As of October 15, 2026
By Ask Margaret, fact-checked against official sources
Margaret is an AI host

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Social Security announced a 3.6% raise for 2027 on October 14, 2026. The raise is automatic. What you will see is a notice that shows your own new amount. This guide explains when that notice arrives, how to get it sooner, and what to look for when you read it.

The raise in one paragraph

Social Security says benefits rise 3.6% beginning with the December 2026 benefits, which are payable in January 2027. SSI payments rise too, and SSI recipients see the new amount on December 31, 2026. You do not apply for the raise and you do not pay anyone for it. For the full numbers and a dollar table, see our 2027 Social Security COLA page.

When your notice arrives

Two ways to get your notice, according to Social Security
If you...	Your notice comes
Have a my Social Security account and use paperless notices	In your Message Center, starting in late November
Do not have an account, or are not paperless	By mail, during December

Social Security says people who create a my Social Security account and sign up for digital notices by November 18, 2026 can see their notice online up to three weeks earlier than the mailed one. You can also choose text or email alerts that tell you when a new message is waiting. The alert does not contain your amount. You still sign in to read it.

How to get yours early

Go to ssa.gov/myaccount and sign in, or create an account. Use only that web address, typed yourself.
Choose paperless notices.
Choose text or email alerts if you want a nudge.
Do this by November 18, 2026.

If you do not use the internet, nothing is lost. Your mailed notice comes in December, and you can call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 with questions.

How to read the notice

Social Security describes the notice as one page with the exact dates and dollar amounts of your new benefit and any deductions. Read it in this order.

Your new monthly amount. Compare it with your current check. At 3.6%, a $2,000 benefit would rise by $72 before deductions. That is an example, not your number.
Your deductions. Social Security says Medicare Part B premiums are deducted from your benefit when the monthly benefit covers the deduction. If it does not, you are billed instead. For people with Medicare, the 2027 premium amount will be in your Message Center starting in late November.
The date. Check the month the new amount starts, so you know which payment to expect it in.

The Part B number is not out yet

The raise and the Part B premium are set separately. Social Security notes that the inflation measure behind the raise is not what sets the Part B premium. As of October 15, we have not found an official 2027 Part B premium, so we are not printing one. The 2026 standard premium is $202.90 a month, according to Medicare.gov. Watch our Part B premium page for the official number. The figure that matters for your budget is the raise minus any increase in the premium.

A quick scam check

A raise notice is a normal letter or Message Center post. It does not ask you to call a number, confirm your Social Security number or pay a fee. If a text, email or call about your raise asks for any of those, it is not from Social Security. See the suspended Social Security number scam.

Checklist

Create or sign in to your my Social Security account by November 18.
Turn on paperless notices and alerts.
Keep this year's benefit amount handy to compare.
Read the notice for the new amount and the deductions.
Remember tax: if you pay tax on benefits, see whether your Social Security is taxable.

What we could not confirm

We did not find an official 2027 Part B premium. The $2,000 example is only arithmetic, not an official average. Notice dates are Social Security's own timing and could shift.

Frequently asked questions

When will I get my 2027 COLA notice?

Social Security says the notice appears in your my Social Security Message Center in late November if you have an account and paperless notices (sign up by November 18, 2026). Everyone else gets a mailed notice during December.

Do I need to apply for the 3.6% raise?

No. The raise is automatic. Social Security never charges a fee for it.

Is the 2027 Part B premium on the notice?

For people with Medicare, Social Security says the 2027 premium amount will be in the Message Center starting in late November. We have not found an official 2027 Part B number yet.

Sources

Every figure above comes from these pages. Figures are as of October 15, 2026. Rules and limits change, so check the page before you rely on a number.

SSA press release, October 14, 2026: 3.6% increase for 2027, beginning with December 2026 benefits payable in January 2027; notice timing: Message Center in late November, account and paperless by November 18, mailed notices in December; notice shows new amount and deductions; text or email alerts; Part B premium deducted when benefit covers it. https://www.ssa.gov/news/en/press/releases/2026-10-14.html
SSA COLA information page: 2027 raise, including SSI. https://www.ssa.gov/news/en/cola/index.html
SSA advocates note on the 2027 COLA: Part B premium 2027 amount available in the Message Center from late November. https://www.ssa.gov/news/en/advocates/2026-10-14.html
Medicare costs: 2026 standard Part B premium $202.90 a month. https://www.medicare.gov/basics/costs/medicare-costs

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General education only, not financial, tax, legal or medical advice. Your situation may differ. Not affiliated with the Social Security Administration. Check your own record at ssa.gov/myaccount.