Social Security benefits are going out on Dec. 24: here’s who’s getting a Christmas Eve payment

The Social Security Administration (SSA) is next week due to send out a Christmas Eve payment to certain benefits recipients across the United States.

It will mark the SSA’s final disbursement of 2025 benefits – although the agency will still have one last set of payments to make before the end of the year.

Who’s getting a Social Security payment on Dec. 24?

On Wednesday, Dec. 24, payments are to be issued to a particular group of recipients of retirement benefits, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or survivor pay.

Of the nearly 70.4 million people who receive retirement, SSDI or survivor benefits in the U.S., most get their money on the second, third or fourth Wednesday in each month.

A beneficiary’s designated Wednesday is determined by the date of birth of the worker whose Social Security taxes have accumulated the benefits entitlement.

As it falls on the fourth Wednesday in December, Christmas Eve’s payment date will cover birthdays between the 21st and 31st of each month. Between them, the two previous Wednesdays this month – Dec. 10 and Dec. 17 – accounted for birthdays falling from the first to the 20th.

At a glance – Dec. schedule for 2nd, 3rd & 4th Wednesday payments:

• Born on 1st-10th of each month: Weds., Dec. 10
• Born on 11th-20th of each month: Weds., Dec. 17
• Born on 21st-31st of each month: Weds., Dec. 24

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Who isn’t paid SSA benefits on the 2nd, 3rd or 4th Wednesday?

• Certain long-term Social Security recipients

If you began receiving retirement, SSDI or survivor benefits before May 1997, your check typically goes out on the third day of each month, regardless of your date of birth.

These long-term beneficiaries were therefore scheduled to be paid for December on Wednesday, Dec. 3.

• Supplemental Security Income beneficiaries

The almost 7.4 million recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) – a separate SSA benefit for low-income individuals who are over 65 or have a disability – are normally paid on the first day of each month.

Consequently, December’s SSI payments were due to go out on Monday, Dec. 1.

It should be noted, though, that January 2026’s SSI checks are slated to be paid on Dec. 31, in the final disbursement on the SSA’s 2025 schedule. As New Year’s Day is a federal holiday, January’s money is to be issued a day early.

• Dual beneficiaries (SSI + regular Social Security)

Around 2.5 million Americans claim both SSI and one of the SSA’s retirement, SSDI or survivor benefits. In December, this group of beneficiaries was scheduled to get the former on Monday 1, followed by the latter on Wednesday 3.

These dual recipients will then get their third payment this month on Dec. 31, when January’s SSI checks are distributed 24 hours earlier than usual.

At a glance – Dec. payment dates not determined by birthday:

• SSI beneficiaries: Mon., Dec. 1
• Pre-May ’97 Social Sec. recipients: Weds., Dec. 3
• Dual beneficiaries: SSI on Mon., Dec. 1; Social Sec. on Weds., Dec. 3
• SSI beneficiaries: Weds., Dec. 31 (Jan. 2026 payment)

How much do recipients of Social Security retirement get?

Retired workers – who make up most of the U.S.’s Social Security recipients – are paid an average of $2,013.32 a month, according to the SSA’s latest figures. The maximum retirement benefit currently stands at $5,108 per month, the SSA says.

How much do SSDI, survivor and SSI beneficiaries get?

Per the SSA, disabled workers get an average of $1,588.52 a month, and recipients of survivor benefits are paid $1,576.20 per month on average. Beneficiaries of the SSI program receive a monthly average of $717.90.

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COLA benefits increase in 2026

The SSA has confirmed that benefits recipients are to get a 2.8% increase in their payments in 2026. This comes as part of the agency’s annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). You can find out more about next year’s adjusted benefits amounts in this SSA fact sheet.

The first recipients of the new monthly payments will be beneficiaries of the Supplemental Security Income program: as mentioned earlier in this article, January’s SSI money is to be sent out on Dec. 31.

You can check out the SSA’s complete benefits-distribution schedule for 2026 in this online calendar.

How does Social Security send out payments?

The SSA says it is “in most cases” no longer offering benefits recipients the option of being paid by paper check. Instead, the agency gives beneficiaries two ways of receiving their payments electronically:

• Direct deposit

By supplying the SSA with their bank details, recipients can get their benefits by direct deposit. You can update your banking info on the agency’s online “my Social Security” portal.

• Debit Express Card

Recipients can also have their benefits loaded onto the Direct Express Card, a special debit card for federal disbursements made to people who do not have a bank account.

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