More than 70 million Social Security beneficiaries will see a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment in their 2026 monthly payments — panning out to an average increase of $56 per month.
At the same time, new payment dates are rolling out for the year, though the method for disbursing benefits remains the same.
Here’s what Social Security beneficiaries and SSI recipients need to know about when and how their payment dates will occur in 2026.
Social Security payment schedule
Social Security payments are determined by the beneficiaries’ birth date.
In 2026, Social Security payments will continue to follow the standard rules for determining when payments are received:
- Beneficiaries born between the 1st-10th receive payment on the second Wednesday of each month
- Beneficiaries born between the 11th-20th receive payment on the third Wednesday
- Beneficiaries born between the 21st-31st receive payment on the fourth Wednesday
The full payment schedule for Social Security benefits is as follows:
- February: 11, 18, 25
- March: 11, 18, 25
- April: 8, 15, 22
- May: 13, 20, 27
- June: 10, 17, 24
- July: 8, 15, 22
- August: 12, 19, 26
- September: 9, 16, 23
- October: 14, 21, 28
- November: 10, 18, 25 — the first payment is early due to the Veterans Day holiday
- December: 9, 16, 23
Supplemental Security Income 2026 schedule
SSI follows a different monthly schedule.
Payments are typically issued on the first of the month, but adjustments occur when that date falls on a weekend or federal holiday.
This can mean no payment in one month and two payments in the next.
Beneficiaries who started receiving Social Security before May 1997 or who receive both Social Security and SSI may have slightly different schedules.
2026 SSI payment dates
- Jan. 30: February payment — Feb. 1 falls on a Sunday, resulting in an early payment
- Feb. 27 – March payment — March 1 falls on a Sunday, resulting in an early payment
- March: No payment
- April 1: April payment
- May 1: May payment
- June 1: June payment
- July 1: July payment
- July 31: August payment — Aug. 1 falls on a Saturday, resulting in an early payment
- August: No payment
- Sept. 1: September payment
- Oct. 1: October payment
- Oct. 30: November payment — Nov. 1 falls on a Saturday, resulting in an early payment
- November: No payment
- Dec. 1: December payment
- Dec. 31: January payment — Jan. 1 is a federal holiday, resulting in an early payment