Watch your account: Why early Social Security and SSI checks are coming in October, November and December
Next month’s Veterans Day holiday means certain Social Security beneficiaries will be getting their November check ahead of schedule – and that’s just one of several early payments coming up in late 2026.
By the end of December, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will have issued earlier-than-usual benefits to four groups of recipients, spanning both Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
When are Social Security and SSI benefits going out early this winter?
- Social Security paid early on Nov. 10
On Tuesday, Nov. 10, Social Security payments are to be sent out ahead of time to program beneficiaries born between the first and 10th of any month.
These beneficiaries would normally get their money 24 hours later, but payment has been brought forward because Nov. 11 is Veterans Day, an annual federal holiday that honors members of the military who have served the U.S.
Tuesday 10 is one of four November dates on the payment schedule for Social Security, a program with 71.6 million recipients nationwide. Each month, the scheme chiefly issues benefits to retired and disabled workers, and to the surviving family members of deceased workers.
- Social Security paid early on Dec. 31
While most Social Security recipients’ monthly payment date is determined by their birthday, this is not the case for two groups of beneficiaries. Claimants who are also signed up to SSI, as well as those who have received Social Security since before May 1997, are normally issued their money on the third of each month.
At the end of December, however, these two groups are to be paid January’s benefits three days early. Jan. 3 is a Sunday, while Jan. 1 is a federal holiday and Jan. 2 is another weekend day. This leaves Thursday, Dec. 31 as the first available business day before Sunday 3.
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- SSI paid early on Oct. 30 and Dec. 31
A program for low-income, low-resource Americans who are over 65 or have a disability, SSI has just over 7.3 million beneficiaries in the U.S. They are typically issued their benefits on the first of each month, but before 2026 is over they will have twice been paid ahead of schedule.
As November begins on a Sunday, next month’s SSI is to be distributed on the nearest working day before then: Friday, Oct. 30. December’s SSI then reverts to the scheme’s regular timeline, but January’s payment will also be early. New Year’s Day is a federal holiday, so the first SSI check of 2027 will be sent out on Dec. 31.
At a glance – upcoming SSA benefits schedule:
November payments:
- Friday, Oct. 30: SSI
- Tuesday, Nov. 3: Social Sec. to dual/long-term recipients
- Tuesday, Nov. 10: Social Sec. to recipients born 1st-10th
- Wednesday, Nov. 18: Social Sec. to recipients born 11th-20th
- Wednesday, Nov. 25: Social Sec. to recipients born 21st-31st
December payments:
- Tuesday, Dec. 1: SSI
- Thursday, Dec. 3: Social Sec. to dual/long-term recipients
- Wednesday, Dec. 9: Social Sec. to recipients born 1st-10th
- Wednesday, Dec. 16: Social Sec. to recipients born 11th-20th
- Wednesday, Dec. 23: Social Sec. to recipients born 21st-31st
January payments:
- Thursday, Dec. 31: Social Sec. to dual/long-term recipients, SSI
- Wednesday, Jan. 13: Social Sec. to recipients born 1st-10th
- Wednesday, Jan. 20: Social Sec. to recipients born 11th-20th
- Wednesday, Jan. 27: Social Sec. to recipients born 21st-31st
How much are Social Security and SSI benefits?
- Retirement: $2,034.54
- Disability: $1,499.41
- Survivor: $1,636.31
- SSI: $735.86
Average monthly benefit as of September 2026, per the SSA.
Social Security and SSI payments set to rise
Starting with the Social Security and SSI payments issued on Dec. 31, SSA beneficiaries are to be given a 3.6% increase in their monthly benefits, as part of the SSA’s cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2027.
Announced earlier in October, the SSA’s latest annual COLA will translate into a hike of around $70 on the current average Social Security payment, which stands at $1,943.15 per month. The average SSI benefit, meanwhile, is set to rise by about $26.
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