Social Security payment dates for 2026
Find your column by birth date. If you are paid on the 3rd of the month, use the last column. Dates for 2026 are calculated from SSA's rules.
| Month | Born 1st to 10th (2nd Wed) | Born 11th to 20th (3rd Wed) | Born 21st to 31st (4th Wed) | Paid on the 3rd |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Wed, Jan 14 | Wed, Jan 21 | Wed, Jan 28 | Fri, Jan 2*moved from Jan 3 (weekend) |
| February | Wed, Feb 11 | Wed, Feb 18 | Wed, Feb 25 | Tue, Feb 3 |
| March | Wed, Mar 11 | Wed, Mar 18 | Wed, Mar 25 | Tue, Mar 3 |
| April | Wed, Apr 8 | Wed, Apr 15 | Wed, Apr 22 | Fri, Apr 3 |
| May | Wed, May 13 | Wed, May 20 | Wed, May 27 | Fri, May 1*moved from May 3 (weekend) |
| June | Wed, Jun 10 | Wed, Jun 17 | Wed, Jun 24 | Wed, Jun 3 |
| July | Wed, Jul 8 | Wed, Jul 15 | Wed, Jul 22 | Thu, Jul 2*moved from Jul 3 (Independence Day (observed)) |
| August | Wed, Aug 12 | Wed, Aug 19 | Wed, Aug 26 | Mon, Aug 3 |
| September | Wed, Sep 9 | Wed, Sep 16 | Wed, Sep 23 | Thu, Sep 3 |
| October | Wed, Oct 14 | Wed, Oct 21 | Wed, Oct 28 | Fri, Oct 2*moved from Oct 3 (weekend) |
| November | Tue, Nov 10*moved from Nov 11 (Veterans Day) | Wed, Nov 18 | Wed, Nov 25 | Tue, Nov 3 |
| December | Wed, Dec 9 | Wed, Dec 16 | Wed, Dec 23 | Thu, Dec 3 |
* Moved earlier because the regular date is a weekend or federal holiday. Your next payment is highlighted in green.
What day will I get my Social Security payment?
If you started receiving benefits in May 1997 or later, your payment day depends on the day of the month you were born. For SSDI and for family or survivor benefits it is the birth date of the worker whose record you are paid on, not your own.
Born on the 1st to 10th
Second Wednesday
November 2026: November 10, 2026
Born on the 11th to 20th
Third Wednesday
November 2026: November 18, 2026
Born on the 21st to 31st
Fourth Wednesday
November 2026: November 25, 2026
Who is paid on the 3rd of the month
Some people are not on the Wednesday cycle at all. Social Security pays them on the 3rd of every month (or the business day before when the 3rd is a weekend or holiday). According to the Social Security Handbook, that includes people who:
- started receiving Social Security before May 1997;
- also receive SSI (Social Security comes on the 3rd, SSI on the 1st);
- have their Medicare premiums paid by their state;
- live outside the United States;
- have income that counts toward someone else's SSI, plus a few other special cases listed in Handbook §121.3.
Once you are paid on the 3rd you usually stay there, even if one of the reasons above no longer applies.
Social Security payment dates that move in 2026
When a regular payment date lands on a weekend or a federal holiday, the payment is made on the business day before. In 2026, 5 payments move earlier:
- Social Security (3rd of the month): the January payment due January 3, 2026 (a Saturday) is paid Friday, January 2, 2026.
- Social Security (3rd of the month): the May payment due May 3, 2026 (a Sunday) is paid Friday, May 1, 2026.
- Social Security (3rd of the month): the July payment due July 3, 2026 (Independence Day (observed)) is paid Thursday, July 2, 2026.
- Social Security (3rd of the month): the October payment due October 3, 2026 (a Saturday) is paid Friday, October 2, 2026.
- Social Security, born 1st to 10th: the November payment due November 11, 2026 (Veterans Day) is paid Tuesday, November 10, 2026.
Note the November change: Veterans Day falls on the second Wednesday, so people born on the 1st to 10th are paid on Tuesday, November 10, 2026. Wednesday payments rarely move, which is why this one catches people out.
Social Security payments month by month
Each month has its own page with every Social Security, SSI and VA date for that month, holiday notes and a printable calendar.
Social Security payment schedule 2026: common questions
When is Social Security paid in November 2026?
In November 2026, Social Security is paid on November 10, 2026 (birthdays 1st to 10th), November 18, 2026 (11th to 20th) and November 25, 2026 (21st to 31st). People paid on the 3rd get their payment on November 3, 2026.
What day will I get my Social Security check if I was born on the 15th?
Birthdays from the 11th to the 20th are paid on the third Wednesday of each month. For November 2026 that is Wednesday, November 18, 2026.
Why is my Social Security paid on the 3rd and not a Wednesday?
You are on the 3rd-of-the-month schedule if you started benefits before May 1997, also receive SSI, have Medicare premiums paid by your state, live abroad, or fall into one of the other cases in Social Security Handbook §121.3.
What happens if my payment day is a holiday?
Social Security pays on the business day before. For example, Veterans Day is Wednesday, November 11, 2026, so the second-Wednesday payment that month is on Tuesday, November 10, 2026.
When should I contact Social Security about a missing payment?
SSA asks you to allow three additional mailing days after the scheduled date before contacting them about a missing payment.
Does the COLA change my payment date?
No. The cost-of-living adjustment changes the amount, not the day you are paid. The 2027 COLA of 3.6% shows up in January 2027 Social Security payments.
Related schedules
Official sources
- Schedule of Social Security Benefit Payments(Social Security Administration)
- Social Security Handbook §121: Payment Dates(Social Security Administration)
- When will I get my benefits if the payment date falls on a weekend or holiday?(Social Security Administration)
- 5 U.S.C. §6103: Federal holidays(U.S. Code (Cornell LII))
- Schedule of Social Security Benefit Payments 2026 (PDF)(Social Security Administration)