The Senior Citizens League estimates that Social Security’s 2027 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) could be 3.6%, down from its earlier 3.8% forecast as inflation moderated. That increase would exceed the 2.8% adjustment applied in 2026 and would be the largest since 2023 if it holds. Social Security Administration data show retired workers received an average of $2,085.98 per month in July 2026. A 3.6% increase would add roughly $75, taking the average benefit to about $2,161 monthly. The estimate is not final because Social Security uses the average Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, or CPI-W (the inflation measure used for COLAs), from July through September compared with the same period a year earlier. August and September data could therefore change the result. The Social Security Administration is expected to announce the official 2027 COLA on Oct. 14, after September inflation figures are available. A 3.6% adjustment would also raise the average monthly benefit for spouses of retired workers from $986.53 to roughly $1,022, above $1,000 for the first time if current benefit levels and the projection hold. Higher checks may not produce an equivalent gain in purchasing power because Medicare premiums, housing, food, utilities and other costs can absorb part of the increase.