SSI recipients will receive two payments in December. Here’s why

If you receive Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, you’ll see two payments hit your account this December. Unfortunately, this isn’t a holiday bonus – it’s a result of social security administration times. The second deposit is a January benefit that comes a day early because New Year’s Day is a Federal holiday.
The latest December payment will also include the 2026 cost adjustment, or cola. This means it will be about 2.8% larger than the check received at the beginning of the month. For a retiree who receives social security, that works out to about $56 more per month.
About 70 million Americans receive Social Security retirement benefits, while about 8 million receive disability insurance. About 7 million receive SSI, a program designed to help people with income and resources who are blind, disabled or age 65 and older. Some people get both SSI and social security. The increase of 2,8% Cola applies to all these programs, giving millions less and after December 31.
When will you receive your SSI check in December?
If you’re receiving SSI benefits, you probably know by now that payments usually come on the first of the month. In December, the first payment of SSI is expected to come out on December 1, according to the social payment system.
However, the SSA changes the benefit date whenever the first day of the month falls on a weekend or federal holiday, meaning that January payments are deducted from December. 31 this year. This does not change how much SSI beneficiaries receive in the January payment; It just means paying for the land in the morning because of New Year’s Day.
This is not an unusual situation that is different in December. In 2025, SSI recipients received two checks due on the first day of the following month that falls on a weekend in May, August and October.
In 2026, the same situation where SSI recipients receive two checks in July, October and December.
SSI Future Payment Schedule
Here’s how the SSI payment calendar plays out for the 2025 and 2026 breaks, according to the SSA benefit payment calendar:
- Dec. 1, 2025: Payment every December
- Dec. 31, 2025: Early payment in January (due to New Year’s Day)
- Jan. 30, 2026: Early payment in February (Feb. 1 falls on Sunday)
- Feb. 27, 2026: Early payment in March (March 1 falls on a Sunday)
- April 1, 2026: Payment every April
- May 1, 2026: Pay every May
- June 1, 2026: Payment every June
- July 1, 2026: Pay every July
- July 31, 2026: Early payment in August (Aug. 1 falls on a Saturday)
- September 1, 2026: Payment every September
- Oct. 1, 2026: Payment every October
- Oct. 30, 2026: Early payment in November (Nov. 1 falls on a Sunday)
- Dec. 1, 2026: Payment every December
- Dec. 31, 2026: Early payment in January (due to New Year’s Day)
December Social Security Payment Schedule
If you receive both SSI and social security benefits, your social security payment will still follow the regular monthly schedule for the month of December, which is usually based on your DITDATE.
There is an exception for people who started receiving benefits before May 1997. This group can expect SSI through the Decree. 1 and social for social security benefits by Del. 3.
If your birthday falls between the first and the 10th day of the month, you will receive your benefit on December 10th
More from money:
2026 Social Security Cola: Here’s how premiums will rise next year
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