Cost-of-living adjustment (COLA)
The COLA raises Social Security, SSI, and VA benefit rates each January. It equals the percentage increase of the CPI-W index between the third quarter of the current year and the third quarter of the last year a COLA was applied.
COLA by year
verified 2026-07-30| 2026 | 2.8% | |
| 2025 | 2.5% | |
| 2024 | 3.2% | |
| 2023 | 8.7% | |
| 2022 | 5.9% | |
| 2021 | 1.3% | |
| 2020 | 1.6% |
Source: Social Security Administration COLA announcements (ssa.gov/cola). The adjustment applies to benefits payable beginning January of the listed year; VA rates change on December 1 of the prior year.
Timeline for the 2027 COLA
- July–September 2026 — the three CPI-W readings that determine the adjustment are published monthly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Mid-October 2026 — SSA announces the official 2027 COLA the morning the September CPI report is released.
- December 1, 2026 — VA compensation rates increase by the same percentage.
- January 2027 — adjusted Social Security and SSI payments begin.
We publish the exact figure here the day it is announced. Any number you see before the official announcement is an estimate, not a fact.