Social Security 2027 changes COLA earnings limits, Digi Mart USA News: Social Security beneficiaries will receive a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) beginning in January 2027, according to the Social Security Administration (SSA). The adjustment is based on inflation measured by the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) and applies to nearly 72 million beneficiaries.
SSI recipients will see their increased payments slightly earlier, starting December 31, 2026. The SSA estimates that the average retired worker’s benefit will rise from about $2,095 to $2,170 a month after the COLA, an increase of roughly $75 a month. The adjustment happens automatically, and beneficiaries do not need to apply for it.
Beneficiaries can review their personalized COLA notice in the Message Center of their online Social Security account, which the SSA says will be available starting in late November 2026. Those who have not opted into online messages will receive a paper notice by mail in December. The notice shows the exact new benefit amount and any deductions, such as Medicare premiums.
Earnings limits for people still working before full retirement age are also rising. For those under full retirement age for all of 2027, the limit will increase to $25,560 a year (about $2,130 a month), up from $24,480 in 2026. The SSA withholds $1 in benefits for every $2 earned above that threshold.
For those reaching full retirement age in 2027, the limit will be $67,920 a year (about $5,660 a month), up from $65,160 in 2026, with $1 withheld for every $3 earned above the limit. This rule applies only to earnings in the months before full retirement age is reached.
Once full retirement age is reached, the earnings test no longer applies.
Workers paying into Social Security will also see the taxable maximum rise to $192,300 in 2027, up from $184,500 in 2026, according to the SSA. Earnings above that amount are not subject to the 6.2% Social Security payroll tax, though they also do not count toward future benefit calculations.
For people receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), the substantial gainful activity threshold will rise to $1,770 a month for non-blind individuals and $2,950 a month for blind individuals in 2027. The trial work period threshold increases to $1,270 a month. SSI’s federal payment standard will rise to $1,029 a month for an individual and $1,544 a month for a couple, up from $994 and $1,491 in 2026.
