The Social Security Administration has released its official 2026 payment calendar, outlining when beneficiaries will receive their monthly checks.
Traditional Social Security payments are based on the day of the month on which you are born and are received on the second, third and fourth Wednesdays of the month. The second Wednesday is for those born from the first to the 10th of the month. The third Wednesday is for those born from the 11th to the 20th of the month. The fourth Wednesday is for those born from the 21st to the 31st of the month.
Supplemental Security Income, a benefit for low-income senior citizens and people with disabilities, is usually received on the first of the month. If the first falls on a weekend or holiday, payments are typically made on the preceding business day.
If you began receiving Social Security before May 1997 or receive both Social Security and SSI, your Social Security payment will arrive on the third of each month, and SSI on the first.
Breakdown for 2026
- January: SSI – Dec. 31; Social Security – Jan. 14, 21, 28
- February: SSI – Jan. 30; Social Security – Feb. 11, 18, 25
- March: SSI – Feb. 27; Social Security – Mar. 11, 18, 25
- April: SSI – Apr. 1; Social Security – Apr. 8, 15, 22
- May: SSI – May 1; Social Security – May 13, 20, 27
- June: SSI – Jun. 1; Social Security – Jun. 10, 17, 24
- July: SSI – Jul. 1; Social Security – Jul. 8, 15, 22
- August: SSI – Jul. 31; Social Security – Aug. 12, 19, 26
- September: SSI – Sept. 1; Social Security – Sept. 9, 16, 23
- October: SSI – Oct. 1; Social Security – Oct. 14,21, 28
- November: SSI – Oct. 30; Social Security – Nov. 10, 18, 25
- December: SSI – Dec. 1; Social Security – Dec 9, 16, 23
You can see the 2026 payment calendar schedule on ssa.gov.
Paper checks
It’s also worth noting that there are no more paper checks coming in the mail to thousands of Social Security recipients after President Donald Trump issued a directive to eliminate this payment method for all government outfits.
That means Americans who receive paper checks from places like the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Education or the IRS had to shift to electronic payments.
The new policy went into effect at the end of September 2025.
2026 COLA
In 2026, a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment will come into effect, giving Social Security recipients just a bit more money in their monthly checks than in 2025.
According to the Social Security Administration, this COLA will impact roughly 71 million Americans. The 2026 COLA is higher than its 2025 counterpart, which came out to be 2.5%.
Furthermore, the overall income that can be eligible for the Social Security tax is being raised to $184,500.