Social Security Administration announces 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment for 2027

JUST IN: Social Security Administration announces a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment for 2027, lifting the average retirement benefit check by about $75 a month, the largest increase since 2023.

Social Security checks are getting a 3.6 percent raise next year.

The Social Security Administration announced it today, and it works out to about 75 dollars a month on the average retirement check. That's the biggest bump since 2023, when inflation forced an 8.7 percent jump. Commissioner Frank Bisignano says 76 million Americans will feel it, most of them starting in January.

Before anyone celebrates, remember why the number is big. Inflation is running at 3.7 percent, so this raise is basically treading water, and AARP found three quarters of older Americans said a bump this size wouldn't be enough. On top of that, Medicare Part B premiums are projected to climb to around 209 dollars a month, and that comes straight out of the same check.

So the headline says raise. The maths says the government handed seniors 75 dollars with one hand and the pharmacy counter is waiting with the other.

This is Sara White, reporting for HIT.