Social Security Disability Benefits
SSI Cost-of-Living Raise for 2027
How Much Is the Cost-of-Living Raise for SSI in 2027?
The cost-of-living raise for SSI in 2027 is 3.6%. The federal SSI payment rises from $994 to $1,029 a month for one person and from $1,491 to $1,544 for a couple. The first raised payment arrives on December 31, 2026, because January 1 is a holiday. Your own amount is the new federal rate minus your countable income, as the SSI calculator shows.
SSI goes up 3.6% in 2027. If you get the full federal payment, your check rises from $994 to $1,029 a month, a $35 raise. A couple getting SSI together moves from $1,491 to $1,544, which is $53 more. The raise starts with the payment SSA sends on December 31, 2026.
Below you’ll find the new amounts, why the payment calendar looks odd this winter, and three worked examples so you can estimate your own check before the notice arrives.
How Much Is the SSI Raise for 2027?
The cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2027 is 3.6%, according to SSA’s 2027 COLA fact sheet. It applies to SSI and to Social Security benefits such as SSDI. These are the federal SSI amounts for each year:
| Federal SSI amount | 2026 | 2027 | Monthly raise |
|---|---|---|---|
| One person | $994 | $1,029 | $35 |
| Couple, both eligible | $1,491 | $1,544 | $53 |
| Resource limit, one person | $2,000 | $2,000 | none |
| Resource limit, couple | $3,000 | $3,000 | none |
The federal amount is the most SSI pays before a state supplement. SSA subtracts your countable income from it to get your actual payment, so a person with other income sees a different raise than someone whose only income is SSI. The SSI guide explains who qualifies and how the payment is set.
The resource limit didn’t change. You can still have no more than $2,000 in countable resources, or $3,000 as a couple, and keep SSI.
When Does the SSI Increase Start?
The first payment with the raise arrives on December 31, 2026. That payment is your SSI for January 2027.
SSI normally pays on the first of the month. January 1 is a holiday, so SSA always sends the January payment at the end of December, as its latest COLA notice explains. That gives you this sequence:
| Date | What arrives | Amount for one person with no other income |
|---|---|---|
| December 1, 2026 | December SSI | $994 |
| December 31, 2026 | January SSI, paid early | $1,029 |
| January 2027 | No payment | |
| February 1, 2027 | February SSI | $1,029 |
Two payments in December isn’t a bonus or a mistake. The second one has to last you through January, so set it aside.
If you get SSDI too, the timing is different for that part. Social Security benefits rise starting with December 2026 benefits, which are paid in January 2027. The disability benefit amounts guide explains when each SSDI and SSI payment arrives.
How the 3.6% COLA Is Calculated
The COLA follows a formula set by law. SSA compares the average Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) for July through September of this year with the same months of the last year a COLA took effect.
For 2027, that average rose from 317.265 in the third quarter of 2025 to 328.746 in the third quarter of 2026, an increase of 3.6% after rounding. The 2026 COLA was 2.8%, so this raise is larger than last year’s.
SSA then raises the unrounded yearly SSI amount by 3.6%, divides it by 12 and rounds down to the nearest dollar. That’s how $994 became $1,029.
How to Estimate Your New SSI Check
Your SSI payment is the federal amount minus your countable income. Countable income is what’s left after SSA leaves some of your income out. The rules on SSA’s SSI income page are the ones that matter most here:
- SSA ignores the first $20 of most income each month.
- For wages, SSA ignores the first $65 of earnings and half of the rest.
- Social Security benefits, including SSDI, count as unearned income.
Here are three common situations, using the 2027 rate of $1,029.
SSI is your only income. Nothing is subtracted, so you get the full $1,029, up from $994. Your raise is $35 a month.
You work part-time. Say you earn $317 a month. SSA subtracts $20, then $65, leaving $232. Half of that, $116, counts. In 2026 your SSI was $994 minus $116, or $878. In 2027 it’s $1,029 minus $116, or $913. Because wages don’t get a COLA, your countable income stays the same and you keep the full $35 raise.
You get both SSDI and SSI. Say your SSDI was $500 in 2026. SSA counted $480 of it, so your SSI was $514 and your two checks totaled $1,014. In 2027 your SSDI rises 3.6% to $518. SSA now counts $498, so your SSI becomes $531. Your total is $1,049.
In that last case, the SSI part goes up only $17, because your SSDI went up $18 and SSA counts most of it. Your total still rises by $35. If you were expecting your SSI deposit alone to rise by the full amount, this is why it didn’t. The SSDI vs SSI comparison explains how the two programs combine.
You can try your own numbers in the SSI calculator. Enter your 2027 SSDI or wages and it applies the same subtractions.
Does a State Supplement Change With the COLA?
Some states add their own money on top of federal SSI. That state supplement is separate from the federal COLA, and each state sets its own amount.
California, for example, adds a State Supplementary Payment for many recipients. The California disability benefits page explains how it works there, and the state supplement section of the SSI guide lists which states add money to SSI.
Where to See Your 2027 COLA Notice
SSA posts COLA notices in the Message Center of your my Social Security account. Notices go online in late November 2026 for most people who created their account by November 18, 2026, according to SSA’s COLA information page. You can also choose to get future notices online instead of by mail.
Compare the new amount on your notice with the examples above. If it doesn’t match what you expected, call SSA at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) and ask how it was figured. If you’re paid too much because a change in your earnings wasn’t reported, you may have to repay it.
Other 2027 Numbers That Affect SSI and SSDI
The COLA also moves the amounts used when you work or study. These matter if you’re working, planning to work or in school.
| Amount | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| SSI student earned income exclusion, per month | $2,410 | $2,500 |
| SSI student earned income exclusion, per year | $9,730 | $10,080 |
| Substantial gainful activity (SSDI), not blind | $1,690 a month | $1,770 a month |
| Substantial gainful activity (SSDI), blind | $2,830 a month | $2,950 a month |
| Trial work period month (SSDI) | $1,210 | $1,270 |
| Average SSDI payment, disabled workers | $1,642 before the COLA | $1,701 after the COLA |
The student exclusion applies to SSI recipients under age 22 who attend school, and lets them earn up to the monthly limit without it counting against SSI. The SSDI work limits are explained in the guide to working while on disability.
If you get SSI, you must tell SSA each month when your earnings change. The new rates don’t change that rule.
Getting SSI for the First Time in 2027
If you’re applying now, the higher rate applies to you too. Any SSI you’re approved for starting in 2027 is figured from $1,029, or $1,544 for a couple. SSI also has strict income and resource rules, so it’s worth checking them before you file. The guide to applying for disability walks through what to gather and where to apply for SSI or SSDI.
Frequently Asked Questions
When Will I Get the 2027 SSI Increase?
On December 31, 2026. That payment is your SSI for January 2027, paid early because January 1 is a holiday. It's the first one at the new 3.6% higher rate.
Why Did I Get Two SSI Payments in December?
The first, on December 1, is your December payment. The second, on December 31, is your January payment paid early. Nothing arrives in January, and the next payment comes on February 1, 2027. Budget the December 31 money for January.
Do I Need to Apply for the Cost-of-Living Raise?
No. SSA raises the federal SSI payment level itself, effective for payments made for January 2027. Your COLA notice shows your new amount.
Did the SSI Resource Limit Go Up for 2027?
No. The resource limit stays at $2,000 for one person and $3,000 for a couple. The SSI guide explains what counts toward it.
What Was the Social Security Raise for 2026?
The 2026 cost-of-living adjustment was 2.8%, which set the SSI federal payment at $994 a month for one person. The 2027 raise of 3.6% is larger.
How Do I Calculate My COLA Increase?
If SSI is your only income, your raise is $35 a month ($994 to $1,029). If you have other income, subtract your countable income from $1,029 instead of $994. Social Security benefits such as SSDI also rise 3.6%, which shrinks the SSI part of a combined check.
Guides on This Topic
- SSIHow Supplemental Security Income works: income and resource limits, the 2026 federal payment, state supplements and Medicaid
- 2026 Benefit Amounts2026 SSDI averages, the SSI federal payment, the COLA and how your amount is set
- SSDI vs SSIThe differences between SSDI and SSI, side by side, and when you can get both
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This post explains official rules in plain language. It isn't legal advice, and only the agency that runs a program can decide your case.