Plan ahead: Social Security payments changing for rest of 2026, including key November date
Some Social Security payments will be on a different schedule for the remainder of 2026. One major change will take place next month.
This year, Veterans Day falls on Wednesday, Nov. 11, the second Wednesday of the month. Because of the federal holiday, millions of Social Security recipients will get their benefits a day earlier, on Tuesday, Nov. 10.
Traditional Social Security is normally paid on a set schedule based on birth date and November is the only alteration to that schedule in 2026.
Payments for the rest of the month will fall on their regular dates.
In a regular month, 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.
More than 56 million retirees, dependents and disabled workers receive Social Security benefits. The average monthly benefit for retired workers is $2,084 and the benefits are set to increase 3.6% in January 2027.
SSI payments
There are significant payment changes for SSI recipients for the remainder of 2026.
SSI payments were issued 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 New Year’s Day, Friday, Jan. 1, 2027.
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 the blind.
People who began receiving Social Security before May 1997 or who receive both Social Security and SSI are paid on a different schedule. SSI is issued on the first of each month – if the date doesn’t fall on a holiday or weekend – and Social Security is paid on the third.
2026 Social Security payment schedule
Here are SSI and Social Security payment dates for the remainder of 2026:
October
- Wednesday, Oct. 21 – Social Security for people with birthdates 11th -20th
- Wednesday, Oct. 28 – Social Security for people with birthdates 21st -31st
- Friday, Oct. 30 – SSI payment made early since Nov. 1 falls on a Sunday
November
- Tuesday, Nov 3 – Social Security for people who began receiving benefits before May 1997 or are receiving both Social Security and SSI
- Tuesday, Nov 10 – Social Security for people with birthdates 1st -10th. Paid a day early since Nov. 11 is Veterans Day, a federal holiday.
- Wednesday, Nov. 18 – Social Security for people with birthdates 11th -20th
- Wednesday, Nov. 25 – Social Security for people with birthdates 21st -31st
December
- Tuesday, Dec. 1 – SSI payments
- Thursday, Dec. 3 – Social Security for people who began receiving benefits before May 1997 or are receiving both Social Security and SSI
- Wednesday, Dec. 9 – Social Security for people with birthdates 1st -10th
- Wednesday, Dec. 16 – Social Security for people with birthdates 11th -20th
- Wednesday, Dec. 23 – Social Security for people with birthdates 21st -31st
- Thursday, Dec. 31 – SSI payments for January 2027 since Jan. 1 is the New Year’s federal holiday