When Are January 2026 Social Security Payments Coming?
Millions of Americans are set to receive their Social Security benefits in January 2026—the first payment of the new year.
Why It Matters
More than 70 million people rely on Social Security each month for vital income support, whether through retirement, disability or survivor benefits. Because of the program’s size, the Social Security Administration (SSA) staggers payments across the month to keep the system running smoothly.
January also marks the first month that the cost-of-living adjustment, known as the COLA, for 2026 is set to be reflected in most benefit payments. Beneficiaries across all SSA programs will receive a 2.8 percent boost, the government agency confirmed in October.
What To Know
Most beneficiaries are paid based on the day of their birth, but some follow different schedules. Those who began receiving retirement, spousal or survivor benefits before May 1997—as well as anyone who receives both Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI)—are issued payments on separate dates. SSI is a benefit that gives monthly assistance to older adults with limited income and to people who are blind or living with disabilities.
The payment dates are as follows:
- Wednesday, December 31: SSI payments
- Friday, January 2: Social Security payments for those who also receive SSI
- Wednesday, January 14: Payments for people born between the 1st and 10th of any month
- Wednesday, January 21: Payments for those born between the 11th and 20th
- Wednesday, January 28: Payments for those born between the 21st and 31st
As January 1 is a federal holiday, SSI recipients are scheduled to receive their January 2026 payment a day early—on December 31. The same is set to happen again at the end of January, with SSI payments being paid on the 30th rather than February 1, which is a Sunday.
“When the first day of the month falls on the weekend or a federal holiday, you receive your SSI payment on the last business day before the first day of the month. That means you may get two SSI payments in the same month,” the SSA wrote in a 2022 blog post. “We do this to avoid putting you at a financial disadvantage and make sure that you don’t have to wait beyond the first of the month to get your payment. It does not mean that you are receiving a duplicate payment in the previous month, so you do not need to contact us to report the second payment.”
COLA Increase
A 2.8 percent COLA is set to take effect later this month for SSI recipients and in January 2026 for all other Social Security beneficiaries.
The boost amounts to an estimated $56 more per month for the average retiree receiving Social Security.
SSA Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano said in a statement following the agency’s announcement in October: “Social Security is a promise kept, and the annual cost-of-living adjustment is one way we are working to make sure benefits reflect today’s economic realities and continue to provide a foundation of security. The cost-of-living adjustment is a vital part of how Social Security delivers on its mission.”
“The COLA is a vital component of Social Security, ensuring older Americans have an inflation protected source of income in retirement,” AARP’s CEO Jo Ann Jenkins said in a statement to Newsweek.
She continued: “This adjustment means older Americans will receive needed relief to help better afford essential items from groceries to gas. Inflation took a financial toll this past year, particularly on retirees, who often rely on Social Security as a key source of income. Even with this adjustment, we know many older Americans who rely on Social Security may find it hard to pay their bills.”