About 2.09 million Americans collect Social Security on their spouse’s work record. Their average monthly benefit is $987. That number has been creeping upward for years, but has been just shy of $1,000 for quite some time. The 2027 COLA could be the one that pushes the number there.
Analysts are projecting the annual cost-of-living adjustment at 3.4% to 3.6%, which would add somewhere between $33 and $36 to the average spousal benefit. At 3.6%, the average would climb to about $1,023 , crossing $1,000 for the first time, according to FinanceBuzz. The Social Security Administration will announce the official 2027 COLA on October 14.
How the spousal benefit stacks up against what workers get
To understand why $987 feels tight, look at what workers themselves get. The average retired worker collected about $2,086 a month in July 2026, according to SSA data. Spouses get less than half of that. The math behind spousal benefits caps payments at 50% of the working spouse’s benefit at their full retirement age.
A spousal benefit tops out at 50% of what the working spouse would receive at their full retirement age, and only if you wait until your own full retirement age to file. Claiming earlier reduces that amount.
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Your specific gain depends on what you currently collect. At 3.6%, a $1,000 monthly benefit goes up about $36. A $600 benefit gains about $22. The percentage is the same for everyone.
Some spousal beneficiaries already collect more than $1,000 a month. Others will still be below $1,000 even after the adjustment. Whether the milestone applies to your check depends entirely on where you are starting from.
The Senior Citizens League, a nonpartisan advocacy group that tracks Social Security closely, is projecting the 2027 COLA at 3.6%, according to CNBC. AARP puts it at 3.5%. The final number comes from third-quarter inflation data and gets announced in October.
What you need to know about how spousal benefits work
To collect on your spouse’s record, they need to have already filed for their own retirement benefit. You also need to be at least 62. Filing at 62 rather than your full retirement age cuts the payment permanently, by as much as 35%.
One thing a lot of people do not know: waiting past your own full retirement age does not get you anything extra on a spousal benefit. Delayed-retirement credits only grow benefits tied to your own earnings. A spousal benefit stops growing at full retirement age. Filing late does not help.
Social Security gives you one check. If your own retirement benefit would be larger than what you would get as a spouse, the program pays you the higher amount. You do not get both.
Divorced spouses can qualify too, as long as the marriage lasted at least 10 years and you have not remarried, according to the SSA. A divorced spouse’s benefit comes from the same earnings record but does not reduce what your ex or their current spouse receives.
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Why the raise may feel smaller than it looks
The COLA adds to a recipient’s gross benefit. What hits your account is a different number. Medicare Part B premiums are projected to rise by $6.60 a month in 2027, FinanceBuzz reported. Most people have Part B pulled directly from their Social Security payment. A $36 gain can shrink to about $29 after that deduction.
Taxes take a bite too. If your combined income tops $25,000 for a single filer or $32,000 for married filing jointly, part of your Social Security benefit becomes taxable, according to the SSA. That threshold includes adjusted gross income, tax-exempt interest and half of your Social Security payment. A small check increase could move some households closer to that line.
And the COLA is built to track inflation, not beat it. When food, rent and medical costs go up faster than the adjustment, your real buying power drops anyway. That has been happening for a lot of retirees over the past few years.
What couples should sort out before filing
Before you file for a spousal benefit, look at your own earnings record. If your own retirement benefit at full retirement age is more than 50% of your partner’s primary insurance amount, file on your own record instead.
Survivor benefits are worth factoring in too. If your spouse passes away first, you may be eligible for up to 100% of their benefit at your full retirement age. The bigger their benefit when they die, the bigger your potential survivor check. A spouse who delays their own claim is also building a larger survivor floor for you if you outlive them.
You can see your estimated benefit at different claiming ages at ssa.gov. Pulling up both your record and your partner’s before anyone files helps you figure out which strategy works better for your household.
Related: 2027 Social Security COLA could see a larger increase
