Overview
- January payments begin Jan. 14 for beneficiaries born on the 1st–10th, with Jan. 21 for the 11th–20th and Jan. 28 for the 21st–31st under the SSA’s Wednesday schedule.
- Nearly 7.5 million SSI recipients saw deposits on Dec. 31, and some people who receive both SSI and Social Security or who started benefits before May 1997 were paid on Jan. 2.
- The 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment raises average retirement checks by about $56 per month and applies to roughly 75 million Social Security and SSI beneficiaries.
- The standard Medicare Part B premium is $202.90 in 2026, up $17.90, with many premiums deducted from checks and higher earners paying IRMAA surcharges.
- SSI date shifts move several first-of-the-month payments to the prior business day, including Feb. 1 to Jan. 30, Mar. 1 to Feb. 27, Aug. 1 to July 31, and Nov. 1 to Oct. 30, with Jan. 2027 arriving Dec. 31.