The Social Security Administration has announced a 3.6% COLA for 2027, and that increase would also lift VA disability compensation if Congress passes the required legislation. For more than 6 million veterans who receive disability payments, the change could mean a larger check next year, but not yet an official one.
The announcement came on Oct. 14 and marks the largest increase in four years. It was based on Consumer Price Index for urban workers averages for July, August and September 2026 compared with the same months in 2025, a formula that is meant to keep benefits moving with inflation.
For veterans, the numbers are easy to see. A person with a 10% disability rating who now receives $180.42 a month would get $186.92 if the 3.6% increase takes effect, a gain of $6.50. A veteran rated 80%, with one child and a spouse, who currently receives $2,406.15 a month would get $2,492.77, or $86.62 more. The increase would also apply to compensation for wartime disability, compensation for dependents, clothing allowances for eligible disabled veterans and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children.
But the raise is still waiting on Congress. The Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act has to pass before the Department of Veterans Affairs can make the change official, and the VA has not published 2027 compensation benefits rate tables. That leaves the increase announced, calculated and expected — but not yet locked in for the people who depend on it.
Veterans receiving disability compensation do not need to do anything now. If Congress acts, the higher rates will follow in 2027; if it does not, the 3.6% increase remains only a promise on paper.
