Why Social Security will send 2 checks to some people in October
A change in October’s Social Security payment schedule means some people will receive two checks next month.
More than 7 million people in the U.S. receive benefits through Supplemental Security Income. Payments average about $740 a month and go to low-income senior citizens, people with disabilities and those who are blind.
SSI payments are typically sent on the first day of the month, unless that day falls on a weekend or a holiday. In some months, that means two SSI payments are issued in a single month, with none the following month.
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That’s the case in October, November and December 2026 and January 2027.
SSI payments will be issued on Thursday, Oct. 1 and then again on Friday, Oct. 30 because Nov. 1 falls on a Sunday. This means SSI recipients will get two October payments and none in November.
Two payments will be issued in December as well. The first will come Tuesday, Dec. 1 and the second on Thursday Dec. 31. No payment will be issued on Friday, Jan. 1, 2027, because of the New Year’s Day holiday.
Traditional Social Security is paid on a different schedule based on the recipient’s date of birth.
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People born from the 1st – 10th are paid on the second Wednesday of the month; people born 11th – 20th are paid on the third Wednesday; and people born 21st – 31st are paid on the fourth Wednesday. In October, those Wednesdays fall on Oct. 14, 21 and 28.
More than 70 million people receive benefits from Social Security. The vast majority of these – 56 million – are retired workers and their dependents. The average monthly benefit for retired workers is $2,084.
There is a separate payment schedule for people who receive both Social Security and SSI, as well as those who began receiving Social Security benefits before May 1997. In those cases, SSI is paid on the first and Social Security benefits on the third of each month, unless one of those days falls on a weekend or holiday.
For people in these categories, October’s SSI will arrive Thursday, Oct. 1 and Friday, Oct. 30 and Social Security on Friday, Oct. 2 since Oct. 3 is a Saturday.