Key Takeaways
- Regular Schedule: Social Security payments for December 2025 will follow the standard Wednesday schedule based on your birth date.
- SSI Payments: Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients will receive their December payment on Monday, December 1, and their January 2026 payment early on Wednesday, December 31, 2025.
- Final Pre-COLA Payment: December’s checks will be the last ones before the 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) takes effect in January 2026.
- Benefit Increase: The upcoming COLA will boost the average monthly Social Security payment by approximately $56 starting in January 2026.
As 2025 draws to a close, millions of Americans are looking ahead to their final Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments of the year. The Social Security Administration (SSA) has confirmed that December’s payment schedule will proceed as usual, without any holiday-related disruptions.
These payments will be the last before the recently announced 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is applied, which will increase monthly benefits for all recipients starting in January 2026.
## Social Security Payment Dates for December 2025
The SSA distributes Social Security retirement, survivor, and disability benefits based on the recipient’s birth date. For December 2025, the schedule is straightforward:
- December 10: For those with birthdays between the 1st and 10th of the month.
- December 17: For those with birthdays between the 11th and 20th of the month.
- December 24: For those with birthdays between the 21st and 31st of the month.
Beneficiaries who started receiving payments before May 1997 will get their checks earlier, on December 3.
## SSI Payments Schedule for December and January
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments operate on a different schedule. SSI is a federal program that provides monthly payments to adults and children with a disability or blindness who have income and resources below specific financial limits. SSI benefits are also paid to people 65 and older without disabilities who meet the financial qualifications.
The SSI payment schedule is as follows:
- December 1, 2025: December’s SSI payment.
- December 31, 2025: January 2026’s SSI payment will be sent a day early because January 1 is a federal holiday (New Year’s Day).
This early payment helps ensure recipients have their funds available at the beginning of the month.
## What to Expect from the 2026 COLA
Beginning in January 2026, Social Security beneficiaries will see a 2.8% increase in their monthly payments. The Social Security Administration announced that this COLA will result in an average increase of about $56 per month for retired workers. The exact amount will vary for each individual based on their benefit amount. This adjustment is designed to help benefits keep pace with inflation.
Image Referance: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2025/11/29/social-security-payments-schedule-december-2025/87508130007/