STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 A typical retiree\u2019s monthly Social Security payment now exceeds $2,000 thanks to the new 2026 cost-of-living adjustment. <\/p>\n
But what does that mean for 2027? <\/p>\n
According to The Senior Citizen League<\/a>, 2027\u2019s COLA is predicted to dip below that of 2026\u2019s 2.8% adjustment to 2.5%. <\/p>\n The 2.8% adjustment that rang in with the new year boosted retiree\u2019s checks, by and large, by about $54.89. As a result, for the first time in America\u2019s history, \u201cthe average retirement benefits exceeds $2,000.\u201d<\/p>\n A standard check, the league said, is about $2,015.07 as of January 2026, when the 2026 COLA went into effect. <\/p>\n Despite hitting the milestone, the league says the $2,000 monthly check is something \u201cwe\u2019re witnessing far too late.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cAccording 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\u2019t afford it. About 20% rely on food stamps!\u201d TSCL\u2019s executive director, Shannon Benton, said in a written statement.<\/a> <\/p>\n \u201cAs a country, we need to question why we\u2019re 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\u2019s benefits and extend Social Security\u2019s solvency by a generation,\u201d Benton added. <\/p>\n