As Social Security enters its 90th year, Congress faces a fiscal deadline.
Social Security has a cash flow problem. For years, the agency has paid out more in benefits than it receives from payroll taxes.
scripps news
Social Security payments will be made in December on a regular schedule and will be the final check before future cost-of-living increases take effect.
Social Security benefits, which are paid primarily to elderly or retired beneficiaries, are typically paid on Wednesdays. If your birthday falls between the 1st and 10th of the month, your payment will be made on the second Wednesday of the month (December 10th this month), according to the Social Security Administration’s calendar.
According to the SSA calendar, beneficiaries born between the 11th and 20th will be paid on the third Wednesday (December 17th), and beneficiaries born after the 20th will be paid on the fourth Wednesday (December 24th). Social Security recipients who began receiving benefits before May 1997 will receive payments on December 3rd.
Following the December payment, recipients will receive larger checks due to a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) increase. When the COLA goes into effect in January 2026, your payments will increase by about $56 a month on average, according to the Social Security Administration.
Social Security Payment Schedule for December 2025 and January 2026
The Social Security Administration’s 2025 and 2026 benefit payment calendars are available online so you can review the schedule for budgeting purposes.
Regular Social Security retirement benefits for December will be shipped according to SSA’s regular schedule.
- Wednesday, December 10th: The date of birth is from the 1st to the 10th of the month.
- Wednesday, December 17th: Birthdays are between the 11th and 20th of every month.
- Wednesday, December 24th: Birthdays from the 21st to the 31st of each month.
Social Security retirement benefits for January 2026 will also be remitted on SSA’s regular schedule.
- Wednesday, January 14th: The date of birth is from the 1st to the 10th of the month.
- Wednesday, January 21st: Birthdays are between the 11th and 20th of every month.
- Wednesday, January 28th: Birthdays from the 21st to the 31st of each month.
SSI payment schedule from December to 2026
Recipients of Supplemental Securities Income checks will generally have their payments issued on the first business day of the month, Monday, December 1st. Because January 1, 2026 is a holiday (New Year’s Day), your January payment will be due on Wednesday, December 31, 2025. SSI checks will be mailed on the following dates according to the SSA calendar through early 2026:
- Monday, December 1, 2025 (confirmed in December 2025)
- Wednesday, December 31, 2025 (confirmed for January 2026)
- Friday, January 30, 2026 (confirmed for February 2026)
- Friday, February 27, 2026 (check for March 2026)
- Wednesday, April 1, 2026 (confirmed in April 2026)
- Friday, May 1, 2026 (Please check May 2026)
- Monday, June 1, 2026 (confirmed in June 2026)
What is SSI?
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a benefit program for people age 65 or older, with limited income or assets, and who are blind or have a qualifying disability. Children with eligible disabilities are also eligible, according to the SSA website. Adults who qualify for SSI typically earn no more than $2,019 per month.
If you think you may be eligible for SSI, you can begin the application process online, in person at your local Social Security office, or by calling 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. local time on weekdays.
Contributors: USA TODAY’s Fernando Cervantes Jr. and Mary Walrus Holdridge And Medora Lee.
Mike Snyder is a national trends news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, and X, and email him at: mike snyder & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & msnider@usatoday.com
What is everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter and get the latest news of the day
