Social Security recipients will get a 3.6% cost-of-living increase in 2027

Social Security beneficiaries will see their monthly checks increase in 2027.

Abdullah Durmaz/Getty Images Social Security benefits will increase by 3.6% in 2027, following the latest inflation adjustments.

The SSA's annual cost-of-living raise means the average monthly check will be $75 larger.

Over half of retirees rely on Social Security as their primary income, according to an AARP survey.

Older Americans just learned how much to expect in monthly Social Security checks next year.

The Social Security Administration announced its latest cost-of-living adjustment on the heels of Wednesday's September inflation report.

SSA beneficiaries , who are mostly 65 and older, are now set to receive a 3.6% raise in their benefits in 2027.

That's higher than the 2026 increase of 2.8% and will amount to a $900 annual boost for recipients, according to AARP calculations — an average monthly check increase of $75.

The consumer price index, which tracks how much prices have changed, is key in determining just how much Social Security checks should go up.

The adjustment is calculated based on the increase in prices during the third quarter of this year compared to a year ago for urban wage earners and clerical workers.

The Social Security Administration said it will start notifying people about their amount in November via its online portal.

While a check bump will likely be a welcome development for many older Americans, it might still amount to a drop in the financial bucket.

Over the past few years, Americans 65 and older have increasingly been slipping into poverty after adjusting for transfers like taxes and government programs. (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); Social Security alone is a formidable anti-poverty program, keeping nearly 21 million of those older Americans from poverty, per the Census Bureau.

And for many older Americans, Social Security goes beyond a poverty lifter; it's a key financial lifeline.