{
  "id": 16872257,
  "title": "Social Security Retirees Get a Big COLA in 2027, and It Comes With Even Better News",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/28/social-security-retirees-get-a-big-cola-in-2027-and-it-comes-with",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-10-28T08:12:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Motley Fool",
    "slug": "motley-fool",
    "url": "https://www.fool.com/retirement/social-security/2026/10/28/social-security-retirees-get-big-cola-2027-with-better-news/?source=iedfolrf0000001"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In 2027, retired Social Security beneficiaries will receive a significant cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) of 3.6%. This marks the largest pay increase for retirees since 2023, when a 8.7% COLA was awarded. The increase is also above the 20-year average of 2.9%. The higher COLA is primarily due to below-average inflation in housing and medical care prices, which typically make up a larger portion of retirees' spending. Social Security benefits are adjusted annually to help beneficiaries keep pace with rising prices. Inflation has been accelerating due to geopolitical tensions and disruptions in the oil supply, leading to higher gasoline prices. However, the increase in housing and medical care costs has been relatively lower than average, resulting in the 3.6% COLA. This is the first time since 2022 that the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E), a measure that better reflects retired workers' spending habits, has increased faster than the CPI-W, which may underestimate the impact of price increases on retirees. Consequently, retired Social Security beneficiaries may have gained purchasing power in 2027, marking the end of a three-year streak of their benefits losing purchasing power.",
  "summary": "Social Security’s 2027 COLA arguably outpaces inflation, meaning retired workers gained purchasing power.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}