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The Social Security Administration (SSA) has confirmed a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2027, marking an increase from the 2.8% adjustment applied in 2026. This change will impact millions of Americans receiving retirement, disability, survivor benefits, and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), effectively adding about $75 more per month on average to their Social Security payments.
While the first payment reflecting this increase is officially designated for January 2027, some beneficiaries will see their adjusted payments deposited before the new year begins.
Early Payments Scheduled for December 31, 2026
Due to January 1 being a federal holiday, the SSA plans to release the initial 2027 COLA-adjusted payments to SSI recipients on Thursday, December 31, 2026. This early disbursement also applies to beneficiaries who started receiving Social Security prior to May 1997 or those who receive both Social Security and SSI benefits. Since January 3, 2027, falls on a Sunday, these groups will receive their January payments a few days earlier than most others.
Following these early payments, the SSA will distribute Social Security benefits throughout January according to a staggered schedule based on recipients’ birth dates. This system aims to evenly spread out payments over the month to manage processing efficiently. The first wave of payments after December 31 will occur on January 13 for beneficiaries born between the 1st and 10th of the month.
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