Social Security Payment Schedule for 2026
Social Security is paid on a Wednesday set by your birth date, or on the 3rd for people paid before May 1997 or who also receive SSI. This is SSA's 2026 calendar, month by month, with the SSI dates.
Payment day by birth date
| Your birth date falls on the | You are paid on the |
|---|---|
| 1st – 10th | Second Wednesday |
| 11th – 20th | Third Wednesday |
| 21st – 31st | Fourth Wednesday |
| Received Social Security before May 1997, or receive both Social Security and SSI | The 3rd (SSI on the 1st) |
Source: SSA, Schedule of Social Security Benefit Payments 2026 (Publication No. 05-10031).
2026 payment dates by month
| Month | 2nd Wed (1st – 10th) | 3rd Wed (11th – 20th) | 4th Wed (21st – 31st) | 3rd-of-month group | SSI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Jan 14 | Jan 21 | Jan 28 | Jan 2 * | Jan 30 * |
| February | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Feb 3 | Feb 27 * |
| March | Mar 11 | Mar 18 | Mar 25 | Mar 3 | None |
| April | Apr 8 | Apr 15 | Apr 22 | Apr 3 | Apr 1 |
| May | May 13 | May 20 | May 27 | May 1 * | May 1 |
| June | Jun 10 | Jun 17 | Jun 24 | Jun 3 | Jun 1 |
| July | Jul 8 | Jul 15 | Jul 22 | Jul 2 * | Jul 1 Jul 31 * |
| August | Aug 12 | Aug 19 | Aug 26 | Aug 3 | None |
| September | Sep 9 | Sep 16 | Sep 23 | Sep 3 | Sep 1 |
| October | Oct 14 | Oct 21 | Oct 28 | Oct 2 * | Oct 1 Oct 30 * |
| November | Nov 10 * | Nov 18 | Nov 25 | Nov 3 | None |
| December | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 23 | Dec 3 | Dec 1 Dec 31 * |
* Paid earlier than the usual day. The SSI column lists payments made in that month, so an early date late in the month is the payment for the next month. Source: SSA, Schedule of Social Security Benefit Payments 2026 (Publication No. 05-10031). SSA prints the dates on a calendar graphic; the table restates it.
When a date falls on a weekend or holiday
Section 708 of the Social Security Act says a payment day that lands on a Saturday, Sunday or legal public holiday is paid on the first day before it that is none of those. That is why some 2026 payments come early.
Wednesday payments
Tuesday, Nov 10 instead of Nov 11 (Veterans Day). Every other Wednesday payment is on its usual Wednesday.
3rd-of-month group
Friday, Jan 2; Friday, May 1; Thursday, Jul 2; Friday, Oct 2. The 3rd fell on a weekend, or on the July 3 holiday observed for Independence Day.
SSI paid early
Friday, Jan 30; Friday, Feb 27; Friday, Jul 31; Friday, Oct 30; Thursday, Dec 31. Each is the payment for the 1st of the following month, which is a weekend day or holiday.
Two SSI payments, or none
SSI is paid twice in July, October, and December and not at all in March, August, and November because of those early payments.
Related Social Security pages
For the 2027 cost-of-living adjustment that changes the amount of each payment, see the 2027 Social Security COLA. To estimate a benefit, use the Social Security benefits calculator; for SSI, the SSI calculator. If you work while collecting, the 2026 earnings limit applies. SSA has also published the 2027 payment schedule.
Frequently asked questions
When is Social Security paid in 2026?
It depends on your birth date. If you were born on the 1st – 10th, you are paid on the second Wednesday of the month. Birth dates 11th – 20th are paid on the third Wednesday and 21st – 31st on the fourth Wednesday. People who received Social Security before May 1997, or who receive both Social Security and SSI, are paid Social Security on the 3rd.
What if the 3rd falls on a weekend or holiday?
SSA pays on the first day before it that is not a Saturday, Sunday or legal public holiday. In 2026 that moves the 3rd-of-month payment to Friday, Jan 2; Friday, May 1; Thursday, Jul 2; Friday, Oct 2.
When is SSI paid in 2026?
SSI is paid on the 1st of the month. When the 1st is a weekend day or federal holiday, it is paid on the business day before, so the February, March, August, November, and January 2027 payments arrive in the month before. Because of this, SSI is paid twice in July, October, and December 2026 and not at all in March, August, and November.
Is a payment ever moved because of a Wednesday holiday?
Yes. The second Wednesday of November 2026 is Veterans Day, a federal holiday, so SSA's calendar shows the payment for birth dates 1st – 10th on Tuesday, Nov 10.
What should I do if my payment does not arrive?
SSA asks you to allow three additional mailing days after the expected date before you contact Social Security.
Sources
Related Calculators
Social Security Payment Schedule 2027
SSA 2027 payment calendar: payment Wednesdays by birth date, the 3rd-of-month group, and SSI dates
Social Security COLA 2027
The 2027 COLA and the three CPI-W prints that set it, every COLA since 1975, and the increase priced against your own check
Social Security Benefits
PIA, earliest at 62, full retirement age, delayed credits
SSI Calculator
Estimate your Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payment — federal 2027 rates with income and asset tests
Social Security Earnings Limit 2026
Official 2026 retirement earnings test limits and how much SSA withholds above them