Social Security December 2025 Payment Dates: December 2025 Social Security payments will be made in accordance with the complete SSA timetable. December 1st is when SSI arrives. Depending on the date of birth, regular Social Security checks are issued on December 10, 17, and 24. Since January 1 is a federal holiday, an additional deposit for SSI is received on December 31. This early payment, which includes the new COLA, counts as the January 2026 check.
Despite the government shutdown from early October to mid-November, Social Security payments for December 2025 are scheduled to begin on time. Prior to the January implementation of the 2026 COLA rise, millions of recipients will get their checks. Starting on December 10, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will continue its regular Wednesday payment cycle.
Social Security December 2025 Payment
On December 1st, SSI beneficiaries will get their December payment. The calendar change will also result in early 2026 SSI payouts. The federal government’s shift away from paper checks is a significant change this year. All payments must be made using a Direct Express debit card or direct deposit starting in October. This came after President Donald Trump issued an executive order in March prohibiting the circulation of paper checks.
According to figures from December 2023, there were more than 160,000 Social Security recipients. Early in 2026, a 2.8% COLA boost will be given to all recipients nationwide. Based on birth dates, the SSA will pay out retirement payments in December according to its customary staggered timetable. The second, third, and fourth Wednesdays of each month are when payments are sent.
December 2025 Social Security Payment
December 10: Birthdays from the 1st to 10th.
December 17: Birthdays from the 11th to 20th.
December 24: Birthdays from the 21st to 31st.
On Wednesday, December 3, beneficiaries who began receiving Social Security before to May 1997 will receive their check earlier. SSI participants will get an extra deposit in December 2025. On Wednesday, December 31, the January 2026 SSI payment is delivered one day ahead of schedule. Because January 1st is a federal holiday and the Social Security Administration does not make payments on days when banks are closed, this change takes place. Additionally, this early transfer will be the first check to reflect the COLA rise in 2026.
Upcoming SSI payment dates
Every month on the first, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is disbursed. Some payments arrive early due to the holiday calendar and weekends. December 2025 and the first few months of 2026 are both impacted by this.
- Dec. 1, 2025: December
- Dec. 31, 2025: January 2026
- Jan. 30, 2026: February 2026
- Feb. 27, 2026: March 2026
- Apr. 1, 2026: April 2026
- May 1, 2026: May 2026
- Jun. 1, 2026: June 2026
- Jul. 1, 2026: July 2026
- Jul. 31, 2026: August 2026
SSI provides assistance to people and children who are blind, disabled, or 65 years of age or older who have low incomes or resources. To be eligible, adults must typically earn less than $2,019 a month. Applications can be submitted at a local SSA office, online, or over the phone at 1-800-772-1213.
What happens if you don’t receive your Social Security payment on time?
The majority of beneficiaries receive their payments on schedule. There are less delays because nearly 99% of payments are made electronically. The SSA advises waiting a further three postal days before calling them if your scheduled date has passed without payment. You can then check your status using your Social Security account, give a call, or go to an office.
When are Americans eligible to begin receiving Social Security benefits?
Although early filing reduces monthly payments, retirement benefits can start as early as age 62. The monthly payment rises if you wait until you reach full retirement age. The full retirement age has been progressively increasing. It is reached at 66 years and 8 months for Americans born in 1958 and 66 years and 10 months for those born in 1959.
The SSA states that anyone born between May 2, 1958, and February 28, 1959, will be eligible for full retirement in 2025. The new normal full retirement age of 67 will be reached by anyone born in 1960 or later.
The new 2026 cost-of-living adjustment, which starts with all January benefits, is included in the December 31 payment. Depending on their birthdate, Social Security retirees will receive their January 2026 deposit on January 14, 21, or 28, which will include the COLA increase. Due to the holiday shift, SSI recipients receive it one day early.