Your 2027 COLA Notice: When It Arrives and What It Shows
The notice timeline
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| By November 18, 2026 | Deadline to opt in to paperless notices in my Social Security for this cycle |
| Late November 2026 | Notices posted in the Message Center at ssa.gov — the earliest place to see your exact amount |
| Throughout December 2026 | Paper notices mailed in batches (receipt dates vary by days or weeks between households) |
| December 31, 2026 | First increased SSI payments — by now your notice amount should match what arrives |
| January 13 / 20 / 27, 2027 | First increased Social Security payments by birth-date cohort |
What the notice shows
In recent years the SSA has used a simplified, plain-language notice format. Yours shows the items that turn the headline 3.6% into your personal number:
Your new gross monthly benefit — computed from your own primary insurance amount, which is why it can differ by a dollar or so from multiplying your current check by 1.036 (the SSA recomputes from the PIA and rounds down to the whole dollar).
Your 2027 Medicare Part B premium deduction — the official premium, published by CMS in November, replacing the $209.50 projection used in estimates until then; if you pay IRMAA, your tier appears here too, which makes the notice the first document where your exact net amount can be read.
Any other deductions you have chosen — for example voluntary tax withholding — and, for SSI recipients, the new federal amount and any state supplement treatment.
If your notice does not arrive
1. Check online first. The Message Center copy is posted in late November whether or not the paper copy has reached you; a my Social Security account is free and is also where you can set paperless delivery for future years.
2. Give the mail its month. December mailings are staggered deliberately; "missing" before mid-December usually just means "not yet mailed".
3. Then contact the SSA directly — 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or your local office — if nothing has arrived by late December or the amount looks wrong. Errors do happen (a premium tier mis-set, a benefit type misclassified), and the notice itself explains the appeal route.
4. Never pay for it. No third party can produce your notice or "release" your increase. Unexpected calls or letters demanding payment, gift cards, or your SSN to "process your COLA" are the scam patterns catalogued on the COLA scams page.
Get the 2027 Medicare Part B premium alert
The 2027 Part B premium has not been announced yet. When Medicare publishes it (expected November 2026), we will send one email with your updated net-check estimate. No spam, ever.
One email when the premium is announced. Unsubscribe anytime.
Frequently asked questions
When will I get my COLA notice for 2027?
The SSA posts your notice in the Message Center of your my Social Security account in late November 2026, and mails paper notices throughout December 2026. Mailing is staggered across the month, so a neighbor receiving theirs first is normal.
What is the November 18 deadline?
November 18, 2026 is the last day to opt in to paperless (electronic) notices in your my Social Security account if you want this cycle's COLA notice delivered online only. If you already chose paperless in an earlier year, the choice carries over — nothing to redo.
What does the COLA notice show?
Your new gross monthly benefit amount for 2027 and the deductions that apply to you — most importantly your actual 2027 Medicare Part B premium (and IRMAA tier, if any) — so the notice is the first place your exact net amount appears. It is the official figure; every calculator, including this site's, is an estimate until the notice arrives.
My notice has not arrived by mid-December — what do I do?
First check the Message Center in your my Social Security account: the notice is posted there regardless of the mail. If it is not there either, wait until late December (mailing runs all month), then call the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 or contact your local office. Never pay anyone for your amount — it is free from the SSA, and anyone charging for it is running a scam.
Sources: SSA COLA notice practice and my Social Security Message Center (posting and paperless dates); CMS premium announcement schedule.