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Social Security Pays on Christmas Eve as January Dates Shift and 2.8% COLA Begins

Most beneficiaries receive funds on birth‑date based Wednesdays under the SSA schedule.

Overview

  • The third December round for those born on the 21st–31st was deposited on Wednesday, Dec. 24, according to the SSA calendar.
  • Presidential holidays on Dec. 24 and Dec. 26 did not delay electronic payments, though mailed checks may arrive later, and SSA field offices operated 9 a.m.–1 p.m. local time on those days.
  • January 2026 payments will post on later Wednesdays—Jan. 14, Jan. 21, and Jan. 28—resulting in a slightly longer wait for many recipients.
  • Beneficiaries who began receiving payments before May 1997 are paid on Friday, Jan. 2, and January SSI is issued on Wednesday, Dec. 31.
  • A 2.8% cost‑of‑living adjustment takes effect in January, raising average monthly benefits by about $56 for more than 74 million recipients.