Cost of living
2027 VA COLA: 3.6% and What It Means for VA Benefits
Social Security announced a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment for 2027 on October 14, 2026. VA pension, parents' DIC and military retired pay rise automatically. VA disability compensation, SMC, and DIC for surviving spouses and children need the Veterans' COLA Act, still pending in Congress; if it passes at the Social Security rate, they rise 3.6% effective December 1, 2026.
Last updated VA compensation pending the Veterans' COLA Act
- Social Security 2027
- 3.6%
- announced , SSA
- VA compensation
- Pending
- needs the Veterans' COLA Act
- VA pension
- Automatic
- 38 U.S.C. 5312
- 100%, projected
- $4,080.37
- from $3,938.58 a month, veteran alone
Who gets it
Which benefits get the 2027 COLA, and how?
Some benefits rise automatically by law. VA disability compensation, DIC for surviving spouses and children, and SMC rise only when Congress passes that year's Veterans' COLA Act.
| Benefit, and how it gets the COLA | Status, effective |
|---|---|
| VA disability compensation, including SMCNeeds the Veterans' COLA Act (S. 4487 / H.R. 8552). Congress sets the percentage; nothing rises until the act passes.Projected 2027 rates | Pending Congress, if enacted |
| DIC for surviving spouses and childrenRises with compensation, only through the Veterans' COLA Act. | Pending Congress, if enacted |
| VA pension: Veterans Pension and Survivors PensionAutomatic under 38 U.S.C. 5312(a): the maximum annual rates rise by 3.6%, the Social Security percentage. VA publishes the new rates in the Federal Register.Veterans Pension ratesSurvivors Pension rates | Automatic |
| Parents' DICAutomatic under 38 U.S.C. 5312(b): the rates and income limits rise by 3.6%, the Social Security percentage. | Automatic |
| Military retired payAutomatic under 10 U.S.C. 1401a: the third-quarter consumer price index increase, projected 3.6%, or 2.6% under REDUX (the Career Status Bonus). DFAS publishes the official percentage.Retirement calculator | Automatic |
| Survivor Benefit Plan annuitiesAutomatic under 10 U.S.C. 1451(g): the same percentage as the retired pay the annuity is based on. | Automatic |
| Social Security and SSDIAutomatic under the Social Security Act: 3.6%, in payments from January 2027. SSI payments rise from December 31, 2026. | AutomaticPaid from Jan 2027 |
At 100%
What the 2027 COLA means at the 100% rate
Projected: pending the annual Veterans' COLA Act. A veteran rated 100% with no dependents receives $3,938.58 a month under VA's table effective December 1, 2025. At Social Security's 3.6% rate, that is projected to be $4,080.37 a month, computed with VA's own rounding rules. Every rating and dependent table is on 2027 VA disability rates.
Projected tables for every rating are on 2027 VA disability rates, and Social Security's COLA by year since 1990 is on VA and Social Security COLA history.
VeteranHQ is educational software and does not prepare or file claims. Every 2027 VA dollar figure here is a projection until VA publishes its official table.
Related
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the VA COLA for 2027?
Social Security announced a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment for 2027 on October 14, 2026. VA pension rises by the same 3.6% automatically under 38 U.S.C. 5312. VA disability compensation, SMC, and DIC for surviving spouses and children rise only if Congress passes the Veterans' COLA Act; S. 4487 and H.R. 8552 are pending. At the Social Security rate, the 100% rate for a veteran with no dependents is projected to rise from $3,938.58 to $4,080.37 a month.
When does the 2027 VA COLA take effect?
December 1, 2026. VA pension rises on that date automatically. VA disability compensation rises on that date only if the Veterans' COLA Act passes. A VA rate table effective December 1 sets the next year's payments, which is why these are the 2027 rates.
Is the VA COLA the same as Social Security?
Not automatically for disability compensation. Congress usually sets it equal to the Social Security COLA through that year's Veterans' COLA Act; the most recent one, Public Law 119-42 set the December 1, 2025 increase equal to Social Security's 2.8%. The December 1, 2026 increase needs its own act, and S. 4487 and H.R. 8552 are pending. VA pension is different: 38 U.S.C. 5312 ties it to the Social Security percentage by law.
Does VA pension get the COLA automatically?
Yes. 38 U.S.C. 5312 requires VA to raise the maximum annual rates of Veterans Pension and Survivors Pension by the same percentage as Social Security, effective the same date, so they rise 3.6% effective December 1, 2026. VA publishes the new rates in the Federal Register.
Do military retirees get 3.6%?
Most are projected to. Under 10 U.S.C. 1401a, retired pay rises every December 1 by the third-quarter increase in the consumer price index, the same calculation behind Social Security's 3.6%. Retirees under REDUX, who took the Career Status Bonus, get one point less: 2.6%. Members who retired during the past year may get a smaller first increase. Survivor Benefit Plan annuities rise by the same percentage as the retired pay they are based on. DFAS publishes the official figures.
When do Social Security and SSDI go up in 2027?
Social Security and SSDI benefits rise 3.6% in payments from January 2027. SSI payments rise starting December 31, 2026, according to SSA.
Sources & Authorities
- 1.Social Security Administration: Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) information (opens in a new tab)
The 2027 Social Security COLA and its payment dates
- 2.Congress.gov: S. 4487 (119th Congress), Veterans' COLA Act (opens in a new tab)
The Veterans' COLA Act for the December 1, 2026 VA increase
- 3.Congress.gov: H.R. 8552 (119th Congress), Veterans' COLA Act (opens in a new tab)
The Veterans' COLA Act for the December 1, 2026 VA increase
- 4.Public Law 119-42: Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2025 (opens in a new tab)
Congress.gov; the December 1, 2025 increase
- 5.38 U.S.C. 5312: Annual adjustment of certain benefit rates (opens in a new tab)
GPO govinfo; VA pension and parents' DIC
- 6.10 U.S.C. 1401a: Adjustment of retired pay to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index (opens in a new tab)
GPO govinfo; military retired pay and REDUX
- 7.10 U.S.C. 1451: Survivor Benefit Plan amount of annuity (opens in a new tab)
GPO govinfo; subsection (g)