Social Security Update: Two Rounds of Payments Going Out This Week
As a new month gets underway, millions of Social Security beneficiaries are set to receive their payments beginning this week.
Why It Matters
The Social Security Administration (SSA) sends monthly payments to more than 74 million Americans, serving as a vital source of income for retirees, people with disabilities, and survivors of deceased workers. To manage the vast number of recipients, payments are staggered throughout the month, with schedules determined primarily by beneficiaries’ birth dates.
What To Know
Two groups of beneficiaries will see deposits this week. On October 1, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients receive their monthly payment. Two days later, on October 3, the SSA will distribute checks to individuals who have been collecting retirement benefits since before 1997, as well as those receiving both Social Security and SSI, including spousal and survivor beneficiaries.
The SSA advises recipients to allow at least three business days for payments to arrive before contacting the agency about delays.
For others still waiting, payments will arrive later in the month according to the following schedule:
- October 8: Beneficiaries with birthdays between the 1st and 10th.
- October 15: Beneficiaries with birthdays between the 11th and 20th.
- October 22: Beneficiaries with birthdays between the 21st and 31st.
How Much Do Beneficiaries Receive?
The amount beneficiaries receive varies based on their work history and the age at which they begin collecting benefits. As of July 2025, the average monthly retirement check was $2,006.69, according to SSA data.
Maximum payments also differ depending on when benefits are claimed. At the full retirement age of 67, the monthly cap is $4,018. Starting early at 62 lowers the maximum to $2,831, while waiting until 70 increases the amount to $5,108.
For SSI, which supports roughly 7.4 million Americans with limited income and resources, the average monthly benefit stands at $718.30.
COLA Boost Announcement Coming Soon
October also brings the annual Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) announcement from the SSA. The change increases payments across Social Security programs to keep up with inflation.
The COLA is determined using the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), which tracks inflation based on the spending patterns of younger, working households. Since 1975, the SSA has applied the COLA each year using CPI-W data from July through September, with the goal of helping beneficiaries cover rising costs for essentials like housing, food, and health care.
The finalized 2026 COLA will apply to retirement, spousal, survivor, and disability benefits, along with SSI. Any increase will first appear in January 2026 payments.