Nearly 72 million people on Social Security get a 3.6% raise starting in January 2027. On average, retirement checks go up $75 a month, the Social Security Administration said on Oct. 14. About 7.3 million people on Supplemental Security Income see their increase on Dec. 31.
Here is the catch most seniors learn when the January check lands: for most people, the Medicare Part B premium comes out of the Social Security check before it arrives. So the raise you actually see is the COLA minus whatever Part B goes up.
What we know about Part B. For 2026, the standard premium is $202.90 a month, up $17.90 from 2025, and the yearly deductible is $283, up $26. CMS has not announced the 2027 numbers. SSA says 2027 Medicare premium amounts will show up in people’s online my Social Security accounts starting in late November. Last year CMS posted the new premium on Nov. 14.
What that means in dollars. If Part B rises by the same $17.90 it did last year, an average retiree keeps about $57 of the $75. That is an illustration, not a forecast. Until CMS publishes the number, nobody can tell you your net raise.
Who sets each number. The COLA is set by formula from the Labor Department’s inflation index for urban wage earners and clerical workers. The Part B premium is set by CMS each fall. Two agencies, two announcements, one check.
When CMS posts the 2027 premium, BTP will update this page with the real net raise.