Social Security Payment Schedule for December 2026
Social Security retirement, survivors, and disability payments in December 2026 arrive on Wednesday, December 9, 2026, Wednesday, December 16, 2026, or Wednesday, December 23, 2026, depending on your date of birth. SSI and pre-May-1997 dates are below.
Born on the 1st – 10th
2nd Wednesday
Wednesday, December 9, 2026
Born on the 11th – 20th
3rd Wednesday
Wednesday, December 16, 2026
Born on the 21st – 31st
4th Wednesday
Wednesday, December 23, 2026
Benefits started before May 1997, or you get both Social Security and SSI
3rd of the month
Thursday, December 3, 2026
SSI (Supplemental Security Income)
1st of the month
Tuesday, December 1, 2026
Watch out in December 2026
- SSI recipients get a second deposit this month: Thursday, December 31, 2026 is the January 2027 SSI payment, issued early because the 1st falls on a weekend or holiday. It is not an extra payment — budget it for January.
How these December 2026 dates are set
SSA staggers payments by the beneficiary's day of birth: the 1st–10th are paid on the second Wednesday, the 11th–20th on the third Wednesday, and the 21st–31st on the fourth Wednesday of the month. People who started benefits before May 1997 — and anyone receiving both Social Security and SSI — are paid on the 3rd, and SSI arrives on the 1st. Any date that lands on a weekend or federal holiday moves to the business day before it, never later.
Not sure which group you're in? Use the "When is my payment?" tool or browse the full 2026 and 2027 calendars. Wondering what next year's raise means for your check? Try the COLA calculator.