Copyright Newsweek
Millions of Americans will receive their Social Security benefits in December—but when can you expect yours? Why It Matters More than 70 million Americans depend on Social Security payments each month for income support—whether through retirement, disability, or survivor benefits. Given the program’s enormous scale, the Social Security Administration (SSA) distributes payments throughout the month to avoid processing them all at once. What To Know For most beneficiaries, payment timing depends on the day of their birth. However, a few groups follow separate schedules. People who began collecting retirement, spousal, or survivor benefits before May 1997—or who also receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI)—are paid on different dates. SSI provides monthly support to seniors with limited income as well as people who are blind or living with disabilities. Here’s the full payment calendar for December 2025: Monday, December 1: SSI payments Wednesday, December 3: Social Security payments for those who also receive SSI Wednesday, December 10: Payments for people born between the 1st and 10th of any month Wednesday, December 17: Payments for those born between the 11th and 20th Wednesday, December 24: Payments for those with birthdays between the 21st and 31st Because January 1 is a federal holiday, SSI recipients will also get their January 2026 payment a day early—on December 31, 2025. "When the first day of the month falls on the weekend or a federal holiday, you receive your SSI payment on the last business day before the first day of the month. That means you may get two SSI payments in the same month," the SSA wrote in a 2022 blog post. "We do this to avoid putting you at a financial disadvantage and make sure that you don't have to wait beyond the first of the month to get your payment. It does not mean that you are receiving a duplicate payment in the previous month, so you do not need to contact us to report the second payment." 2026 COLA A 2.8 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will take effect in December 2025 for SSI recipients and in January 2026 for all other Social Security beneficiaries. That increase amounts to an estimated $56 more per month for the average retiree receiving Social Security. Social Security Administration Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano said in a statement: "Social Security is a promise kept, and the annual cost-of-living adjustment is one way we are working to make sure benefits reflect today’s economic realities and continue to provide a foundation of security. The cost-of-living adjustment is a vital part of how Social Security delivers on its mission."
