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Retirement

Social Security

When Social Security Recipients Will Get Their Checks in December

Social Security check sticking out of an envelope

Olive Burd / Money; Getty Images

As the year winds down, December Social Security payments will go out as scheduled — with one exception.

Roughly 68 million Americans receive Social Security benefits every month, including about 9 out of every 10 people age 65 and up. Funds aren't just for older folks, though. Payments go out to retirees, survivors of late workers, those with little to no resources, disabled workers, the blind, dependents and more.

The average Social Security payments for those various groups of people vary, but data from August shows the typical retirement benefit was about $1,955.

When will I get my December Social Security payment?

Your Social Security payment date is determined by your birthday.

If you were born on the first through the 10th of the month, you can expect to get your Social Security check on the second Wednesday of every month — in this case, Dec. 10.

If you were born on the 11th through the 20th of the month, you can expect to get your Social Security check on the third Wednesday of every month — in this case, Dec. 17.

If you were born on the 21st through the 31st, you can expect to get your Social Security check on the fourth Wednesday of every month — in this case, Dec. 24.

Why are there two December SSI payments?

Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, payments are usually paid on the first of each month. But because Jan. 1 falls on New Year's Day, a federal holiday, the January SSI payment has been moved up to the previous business day.

This means beneficiaries will get their January SSI payments on Dec. 31, 30 days after they received their December SSI payments on Dec. 1.

This is a relatively common occurrence that has already happened several times this year. There's nothing to worry about — beneficiaries are still receiving their full benefits; they're just arriving at a slightly different time than normal.

Folks who get both SSI and Social Security, as well as those who initially claimed Social Security prior to May 1997, will receive their Social Security benefits on Dec. 3 (and then on Jan. 2).

Where is my December Social Security payment?

Check the payment schedule above.

If you think your money is missing, you can reach out to the Social Security Administration (SSA). The SSA has both local offices and a toll-free national number. The national phone number is 1-800-772-1213. Representatives are available weekdays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time. Pro tip: The agency says wait times are shortest in the morning, late in the week and late in the month.

In any case, the SSA asks that you wait three mailing days before contacting it about a missing Social Security payment.

When will the 2026 COLA take effect?

The 2026 COLA is 2.8%. Beneficiaries will receive about $56 more per month on average.

The COLA will first show up in SSI payments on Dec. 31. Other Social Security recipients will see the raise starting in January.

Is the 2026 COLA enough?

Intended to help benefits keep pace with rising costs, the Social Security COLA is based on inflation data from the third fiscal quarter, which includes July, August and September. It's calculated every October and affects the following year's payments.

Sometimes, this timing benefits recipients — like when they got an 8.7% raise for 2023 after a bout of higher-than-usual inflation in summer 2022. The opposite is happening now: Inflation reached 3% in September, and the COLA for 2026 has been locked in at 2.8%.

"The 2026 COLA is going to hurt for seniors," Shannon Benton, the executive director of The Senior Citizens League, said in a news release.

In a recent survey from the Motley Fool, 54% of Social Security recipients said they think a 2.8% COLA is inadequate. Another 68% said the COLA won't be much help in helping them afford essentials.

What is the SSA payment schedule for 2026?

You can find the SSA's 2026 payment calendar on its website. Although it largely follows the schedule laid out above, some months are different.

To learn more about your payment status or to get additional help with Medicare, retirement benefits, disability, SSI and more, make a "my Social Security" account for free at SSA.gov.

How do I calculate my Social Security payment?

Benefits are generally calculated according to your average indexed monthly earnings, which include up to 35 years of your highest-earning years. The SSA then applies a formula to determine your primary insurance amount.

The amount of money retirees actually receive depends partially on their age. Although you can start getting Social Security retirement payments at 62 years old, the longer you wait to claim Social Security, the higher your payments will be (until age 70, when the increases stop).

For many Americans, this money is crucial — Social Security accounts for about 30% of the income received by folks over age 65. As people live longer and legislators wrestle over the future of Social Security, the cost of retirement is surging: In 2022, federal data shows retired households spent an average of $54,975, including $11,186 on shelter, $8,065 on transportation and $7,505 on health care.

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