What to know about November 2025 Social Security, SSI payments during government shutdown

As October draws to a close, the Social Security Administration sent out its final round of monthly payments this week, marking the last deposits before next month’s scheduling quirk that will give some beneficiaries two checks in October and none in November.

The SSA’s 2025 payment calendar showed that retirees born between the 21st and the end of the month received their benefits on Wednesday, Oct. 22, completing that month’s distribution. Supplemental Security Income recipients, meanwhile, will see a second deposit on Oct. 31 since Nov. 1 falls on a Saturday, a shift that advances next month’s payment by a day.

As October winds down, the Social Security Administration is preparing to issue its next round of benefits. For most beneficiaries, November payments will follow the agency’s standard Wednesday schedule. However, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients will see their next deposit arrive early — on Friday, Oct. 31 — because Nov. 1 falls on a Saturday. That means there will be no SSI payment in November, since the November benefit will have already been distributed.

For retirees and disability beneficiaries who began receiving payments after May 1997, the November payment schedule is as follows:

• Wednesday, Nov. 12 — for those with birthdays between the 1st and 10th
• Wednesday, Nov. 19 — for birthdays between the 11th and 20th
• Wednesday, Nov. 26 — for birthdays between the 21st and the end of the month

Those who started receiving benefits before May 1997 —or who receive both Social Security and SSI—will get their payment on Monday, Nov. 3.

Yes, SSA offices and online services remain open during government shutdowns. However, the lapse in funding restricts some actions. The following services cannot be provided during a government shutdown:

• replacing Medicare cards
• issuing a proof of income letter
• updating or correcting earnings records

The Social Security Administration was scheduled to announce the 2026 cost-of-living adjustment on Oct. 15. Due to the ongoing government shutdown, the announcement was postponed until Friday, Oct. 24.

Prior to each year, the SSA adjusts benefits for Social Security and SSI recipients to keep pace with inflation. COLA is a percentage by which benefits increase from December to January of the next year, based on third quarter (July-September) inflation. The agency uses inflation figures from the Labor Department’s September Consumer Price Index data.

However, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) was unable to release the September report on time because of suspended operations prompted by the government shutdown. BLS now plans on releasing the data on Friday, and the SSA’s COLA announcement is expected the same day.

No, it’s unlikely the government shutdown will delay or reduce Social Security payments. The SSA has contingency systems requiring the issue of payments on time as soon as the data is available.

The timing of the 2018-2019 government shutdown allowed COLA to remain unaffected. The shutdown in 2013 caused data to be delayed until late October; however, COLA was announced soon after and well before payments were impacted.

Those who receive SSI will receive their November 2025 payment early, on Oct. 31, since Nov. 1 fell on a Saturday. The Social Security Administration suggests that if you didn’t receive your payment on the expected date, allow three additional mailing days before contacting the agency; most arrive timely because 99% of beneficiaries are paid electronically.

A second payment will arrive next week, on Oct. 31. Nov. 1 falls on a Saturday, and the SSA doesn’t issue payments on weekends or federal holidays. In such instances, SSI benefits arrive early. This also means November’s payment will be distributed in October, and there will be no payment made during the month of November.

Recipients will also get two checks in December. SSI checks will be sent out on the following dates remaining in 2025, according to the SSA calendar:

• Friday, Oct. 31, 2025 (Check for November 2025)
• Monday, Dec. 1, 2025 (Check for December 2025)
• Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025 (Check for January 2026)

The SSI payment schedule in 2026 will be untraditional for the first quarter. The first days of February and March fall on Sundays, which means those payments will be dispersed at the end of the previous month: February’s payment comes on Friday, Jan. 30 and March’s comes on Friday, Feb. 27.

Those who have been overpaid by the Social Security Administration and haven’t begun the repayment process may have noticed their monthly benefits shrinking. At the end of July, the SSA began withholding 50% of monthly benefits from individuals with outstanding overpayments. This marks a new phase in the agency’s effort to recover billions in accidental overpayments.

While the SSA hasn’t publicly confirmed how many beneficiaries are affected, records obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request show the agency attempted to reclaim overpayments from about 2 million people in the fiscal year ending September 2023, according to KFF and Cox Media Group.

If you received more money than you were entitled to through Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and haven’t arranged a repayment plan, your benefits may be reduced by half. This applies even if the overpayment wasn’t your fault.

Under its new policies, the SSA said it would begin issuing overpayment notices on April 25 and would start withholding 50% of the recipient’s benefits after about 90 days (or approximately July 24, at the earliest), until the overpayment is repaid.

• Withholding began: Around July 24, depending on when you received your overpayment notice
• Repayment options: Online bill pay, credit card or check
• Waiver requests: You can ask the SSA to waive the repayment if:
  • The overpayment wasn’t your fault
  • You can’t afford to repay
  • Repayment would be unfair

Waiver and repayment information is available on the SSA website.

Supplemental Security Income provides monthly benefits to those with limited income or resources who are 65 or older, blind or have a qualifying disability. Children with a qualifying disability can also get SSI, according to the SSA’s website.

Generally, adults who qualify for SSI do not earn monthly wages exceeding $2,019.

Those who may be eligible for SSI can begin the application process online, in person at their local Social Security office or by calling 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time, Monday through Friday.

The SSA will replace a lost or stolen Social Security card for free, with three options available.

The most convenient and secure method, you may request a new Social Security card online if you:

• are a U.S. citizen age 18 or older
• have a U.S. mailing address
• don’t need to change the name or other information on the card
• have a driver’s license or state-issued ID
• have a personal my Social Security account

An application for a new card can be completed by visiting a local Social Security office. You may be able to start the application (Form SS-5) online before scheduling an appointment, or fill out the entire application in-office. In addition to Form SS-5, you must bring unexpired identification documents to the office.

The third and final option for getting a new Social Security card is by mail. You can complete the application (Form SS-5) and mail it along with original or certified copies of required documents, which include those that verify:

• Identity: U.S. driver’s license, state-issued non-driver identification card or U.S. passport
• U.S. citizenship: U.S. birth certificate or U.S. passport.

Once approved, the SSA will typically send you a replacement card within 7 to 10 business days.

The full, or “normal,” retirement age has gradually increased in recent years, rising by two months for each successive birth year. For example, if you were born in 1958, your full retirement age is 66 years and 8 months, while those born in 1959 will reach it at 66 years and 10 months.

According to the SSA, individuals born between May 2, 1958, and Feb. 28, 1959 will reach their full retirement age in 2025. For those born in 1960 and later, the full retirement age will increase to 67.

Due to estimations that Social Security will run out of money by 2034, it’s possible the retirement age could increase again under the Trump administration. Last week SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano suggested to Fox Business that the agency was considering raising the retirement age from 67; however, he later rescinded his comment and issued the following statement:

Let me be clear: President Trump and I will always protect, and never cut, Social Security. That’s why we have made many vital reforms, such as cutting waste, fraud, and abuse from the program, to ensure the solvency of Social Security for future generations of Americans. Raising the retirement age is not under consideration.

Yes, but there are consequences for tapping in too early. Workers can choose to receive benefits as early as age 62, though at a reduced amount. However, those who delay claiming benefits until age 70 are rewarded with a higher monthly payout.

Other changes to Social Security in 2025 include a smaller cost-of-living adjustment (2.5%, down from 3.4%), an increase in the maximum taxable earnings limit from $168,000 to $176,100 and expanded appointment-based services at Social Security offices nationwide.

In 2024, the highest Social Security benefit for individuals retiring at full retirement age was $3,822 per month, according to the SSA. Due to certain inflation adjustments in how Social Security is calculated and how past earnings are adjusted for inflation, this maximum benefit will rise to $4,018 per month, totaling over $48,000 annually in 2025.

Click here to find a Social Security office near you.