STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A typical retiree’s monthly Social Security payment now exceeds $2,000 thanks to the new 2026 cost-of-living adjustment.
But what does that mean for 2027?
According to The Senior Citizen League, 2027’s COLA is predicted to dip below that of 2026’s 2.8% adjustment to 2.5%.
The 2.8% adjustment that rang in with the new year boosted retiree’s checks, by and large, by about $54.89. As a result, for the first time in America’s history, “the average retirement benefits exceeds $2,000.”
A standard check, the league said, is about $2,015.07 as of January 2026, when the 2026 COLA went into effect.
Despite hitting the milestone, the league says the $2,000 monthly check is something “we’re witnessing far too late.”
“According to our research, four in five seniors are either already struggling to pay for basics like rent and food or are living from benefits check to benefits check. Nearly 60% have skipped at least one medical service in the last year because they couldn’t afford it. About 20% rely on food stamps!” TSCL’s executive director, Shannon Benton, said in a written statement.
“As a country, we need to question why we’re letting our elders slip into poverty while we sit and watch, especially when the Social Security Office of the Chief Actuary has already identified several proposals that would change the tax code to strengthen today’s benefits and extend Social Security’s solvency by a generation,” Benton added.
This announcement comes as Americans are still struggling with the affordability crisis, despite President Donald Trump claiming affordability is “a hoax” back in December 2025.