The Senior Citizens League has raised its estimate for the 2027 Social Security COLA to 3.9%, a step up from its earlier 2.8% prediction and a sign that higher inflation is still pushing benefit expectations higher. If that estimate proves close to the final number, an average married couple receiving two Social Security benefits could see monthly payments rise by about $125, from roughly $3,208 to $3,333.
That is still only an estimate. The Social Security Administration will not officially announce the 2027 cost-of-living adjustment until mid-October, and beneficiaries will not receive personalized COLA notices until December. Until then, the 3.9% figure offers an early guide for household budgets, especially for couples whose Social Security checks make up a large share of monthly income.
The calculation in the new estimate is straightforward. The average married couple receiving two Social Security benefits is expected to take home about $3,208 per month in 2026. Applying a 3.9% increase to that figure produces the projected $3,333 monthly total. Some couples will see more than that example increase, while others will get less, depending on their individual benefit amounts.
The revised estimate also marks a notable change from earlier this year, when The Senior Citizens League had predicted a 2.8% COLA for 2027. The higher forecast tracks the rise in inflation, which has been doing the work of widening next year’s expected benefit bump before the official formula is locked in.
What remains unresolved is the final number. For now, the social security october cola announcement is still weeks away, and the estimate can move again before the government releases the official adjustment in mid-October.
