Overview
- Payments for January go out Jan. 14, 21, and 28 based on birthdates, with the second, third, and fourth Wednesdays covering the 1st–10th, 11th–20th, and 21st–31st, respectively.
- The 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment lifts average monthly benefits by about $56, affecting roughly 75 million Social Security and SSI recipients.
- The standard Medicare Part B premium rises to $202.90 in 2026 and is typically deducted from checks, with hold harmless rules limiting increases to the size of a beneficiary’s COLA.
- Some recipients on different schedules—those who began benefits before May 1997 or who receive both Social Security and SSI—received payments earlier this month or are paid on the 3rd.
- SSI follows first-of-month timing except when shifted by weekends or holidays, with early payments on Jan. 30 for February, Feb. 27 for March, July 31 for August, Oct. 30 for November, and Dec. 31 for January 2027.