The 2027 cost-of-living adjustment is 3.6%. The Social Security Administration announced the figure on October 14, 2026, after the Bureau of Labor Statistics published September inflation data. It is the largest COLA since 2023 and follows 2.8% for 2026.
For veterans, 3.6% means roughly $6.50 more a month at 10% and $141.79 more a month at 100%, if Congress applies the same percentage to VA disability compensation as it has in past years. The dollar amounts below are estimates until that law passes and VA publishes its official 2027 tables.
Need every combination of spouse, children and parents? See our full 2027 pay chart with dependents, with every rating from 10% to 100%.
For payments in effect today, use the official 2026 VA disability rate tables or the VA disability calculator.
Estimated 2027 VA disability rates
Verified October 14, 2026
Social Security's 2027 COLA is 3.6%
Announced
Social Security announced a 3.6% COLA on October 14, 2026. Q3 2026 CPI-W averaged 328.746, up from 317.265.
Still pending
The law applying the increase to VA compensation, and VA's official 2027 rate tables. The amounts below are estimates until then.
| Input | CPI-W |
|---|---|
| July 2026 | 327.104 |
| August 2026 | 328.481 |
| September 2026 | 330.654 |
| Q3 2026 average | 328.746 |
| Q3 2025 average | 317.265 |
| COLA (rounded to 0.1%) | 3.6% |
| Rating | 2026 official | 2027 estimate | Monthly increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 | $186.92 | +$6.50 |
| 20% | $356.66 | $369.50 | +$12.84 |
| 30% | $552.47 | $572.36 | +$19.89 |
| 40% | $795.84 | $824.49 | +$28.65 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 | $1,173.68 | +$40.78 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 | $1,486.68 | +$51.66 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 | $1,873.55 | +$65.10 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 | $2,177.83 | +$75.68 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 | $2,447.34 | +$85.04 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 | $4,080.37 | +$141.79 |
| Rating | 2026 official | 2027 estimate | Monthly increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30% | $666.47 | $690.46 | +$23.99 |
| 40% | $947.84 | $981.96 | +$34.12 |
| 50% | $1,322.90 | $1,370.52 | +$47.62 |
| 60% | $1,663.02 | $1,722.89 | +$59.87 |
| 70% | $2,074.45 | $2,149.13 | +$74.68 |
| 80% | $2,406.15 | $2,492.77 | +$86.62 |
| 90% | $2,704.30 | $2,801.65 | +$97.35 |
| 100% | $4,318.99 | $4,474.47 | +$155.48 |
Each estimate increases the complete official 2026 VA table cell by 3.6% (× 1.036) and rounds to cents. VA's published 2027 table may differ by up to about 35 cents, and by up to about $2 for some dependent amounts, because of its own rounding. How we estimate.
Need a spouse, children or parents? See the full 2027 VA disability pay chart with dependents.
The tables cover standard disability compensation for a veteran alone and for a veteran with a spouse and one child. Every dependent combination, Special Monthly Compensation and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) will also rise if the adjustment is enacted. For every rating with a spouse, children or parents, see the full 2027 pay chart with dependents. We will replace those estimates with VA’s official tables once VA releases them.
How the 3.6% was calculated
SSA compares the average CPI-W (Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, not seasonally adjusted) for July, August, and September with the same three months a year earlier:
- Q3 2026 average: (327.104 + 328.481 + 330.654) ÷ 3 = 328.746
- Q3 2025 average: 317.265
- Change: (328.746 − 317.265) ÷ 317.265 = 3.62%, which rounds to 3.6%
September came in at 330.654, above the 329.047 our earlier projection estimated it would take to reach 3.5%, which is why the final figure landed above every planning case. A single month’s year-over-year inflation reading, including the CPI-U figure often quoted in the news, is not the COLA.
When you’ll see the higher payment
The pending VA bills make the increase effective December 1, 2026. VA pays each month’s compensation at the start of the following month, so December compensation is normally paid January 1.
January 1, 2027 is New Year’s Day. When the first of a month is a federal holiday, 38 U.S.C. § 5120(e) moves the payment to the previous weekday. That puts the first payment at the new rate on Thursday, December 31, 2026, if the increase is enacted in time.
That also means no separate VA deposit arrives in January 2027. The next deposit after December 31 is the regular payment on February 1. Budget for it ahead of time.
Does Congress still need to act?
Yes. A Social Security COLA does not, by itself, raise VA disability pay. Each year, Congress passes a Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act that applies the Social Security percentage to VA compensation, DIC, and the clothing allowance.
For 2027, that bill is the Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2026. As of October 14, 2026:
| Bill | Latest action |
|---|---|
| S. 4487 | Referred to the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on May 11, 2026 |
| H.R. 8552 | Forwarded by subcommittee to the full House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on June 30, 2026 |
Neither bill has passed either chamber. The September 2026 continuing resolution did not include the compensation adjustment.
Congress has enacted the annual adjustment in each recent year, often late in the year. The acts for the 2026 and 2025 increases (Public Laws 119-42 and 118-130) were both signed on November 25, which kept the December 1 effective date. Until a bill is signed, though, the 2027 increase is not law.
When VA will publish official 2027 rates
VA posts new compensation tables after the adjustment is signed. Last year, the act was signed November 25, 2025, and VA’s rate page shows it was last updated December 2, 2025. VA had not published 2027 tables when we checked on October 14, 2026.
When VA publishes, we will add the complete official 2027 tables and update the calculator. Until then, the rate tables show the verified 2026 amounts, and the calculator shows a 3.6% estimate alongside your 2026 payment.
Revision log
| Date | Update |
|---|---|
| October 14, 2026 | Published the 3.6% announcement, September CPI-W, estimated 2027 amounts, and the status of S. 4487 and H.R. 8552. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the VA COLA for 2027?
The Social Security Administration announced a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment for 2027 on October 14, 2026. VA disability compensation has historically increased by the same percentage, but the VA increase takes effect only after Congress passes the annual Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act. As of October 14, 2026, that act had not passed.
How much will VA disability pay increase in 2027?
At 3.6%, we estimate the 10% rate rises from $180.42 to about $186.92 a month, the 50% rate from $1,132.90 to about $1,173.68, and the 100% rate for a veteran alone from $3,938.58 to about $4,080.37, an increase of about $141.79 a month. These are estimates built from VA's official 2026 table. VA's published 2027 table may differ by up to about 35 cents, and by up to about $2 for some dependent amounts.
When does the 2027 VA increase take effect?
The pending bills (S. 4487 and H.R. 8552) would make the increase effective December 1, 2026. That date applies only if Congress enacts the adjustment as written.
When will I see the higher VA payment?
VA pays compensation for a month at the start of the following month, so December 2026 compensation is due January 1, 2027. Because January 1 is a federal holiday, federal law (38 U.S.C. § 5120(e)) moves that payment to the preceding weekday, Thursday, December 31, 2026. If the increase is enacted in time with a December 1 effective date, that December 31 deposit would be the first at the new rate, and there would be no separate deposit in January 2027.
Do I need to do anything to get the COLA increase?
No. Once the adjustment becomes law, VA applies it automatically to everyone receiving disability compensation. There is nothing to file or request.
Does the COLA change my combined disability rating?
No. A COLA raises the dollar amount paid at each rating. It does not change your percentage, your diagnostic codes, or your combined rating.
Are these the official 2027 VA disability rates?
No. The 3.6% percentage is official for Social Security. The dollar amounts on this page are our estimates. VA had not published 2027 compensation tables when we checked on October 14, 2026. In each of the last two years, the VA adjustment was signed on November 25 and VA published its tables shortly afterward.
Sources
Every rating percentage, diagnostic code, and dollar figure on this page is sourced from the references below. See our editorial policy for how we choose and verify sources.
- Social Security Announces 3.6 Percent Benefit Increase for 2027 — U.S. Social Security Administration
- Latest Cost-of-Living Adjustment — U.S. Social Security Administration
- CPI-W Series CWUR0000SA0 — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Veterans Disability Compensation Rates — U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- S. 4487 — Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2026 — Congress.gov
- H.R. 8552 — Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2026 — Congress.gov
- S. 4487 bill text (introduced) — U.S. Government Publishing Office
- Public Law 119-42 — COLA act for the 2026 increase — U.S. Government Publishing Office
- Public Law 118-130 — COLA act for the 2025 increase — U.S. Government Publishing Office
- Public Law 119-103 — Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027 — U.S. Government Publishing Office
- 38 U.S.C. § 5120 — Payment of benefits; delivery — U.S. Government Publishing Office
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or medical advice. For personalized guidance, consult a VA-accredited VSO, attorney, or claims agent.