Social Security to send out payments on Wednesday, Dec. 31: here’s who gets a check

On New Year’s Eve, more than seven million people in the U.S. are due to get a benefits check from the Social Security Administration (SSA).

Who’s getting an NYE payment from Social Security?

On Wednesday, Dec. 31, beneficiaries of the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) scheme are scheduled to receive their monthly payment for January 2026.

SSI checks are typically issued on the opening day of each month. However, New Year’s Day is a federal holiday, so January’s payment has been brought forward to the nearest working day.

According to the SSA’s official payment schedule, January’s benefits are the first of three consecutive SSI checks that are to go out at the end of the previous month.

Who gets SSI payments?

A program with just under 7.4 million beneficiaries across the U.S., per the SSA’s latest figures, SSI is aimed at low-income, low-resource individuals who are over-65 or have a disability.

Unlike Social Security programs such as retirement benefits, survivor checks and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), eligibility for SSI does not depend on payment of Social Security taxes. It is a purely needs-based program.

For more information on who qualifies for SSI, take a look at this page on the SSA website.

How much do SSI recipients get? Payments to increase in 2026

As of November 2025 - the SSA’s most recent figures - recipients of SSI were paid a monthly average of $717.90. However, Dec. 31’s SSI check will be the first to include a 2.8% rise in the SSA’s monthly payments.

This increase, which will also be applied to the SSA’s retirement, SSDI and survivor benefits, was confirmed in October, when the agency announced its latest cost-of-living adjustment (COLA).

The maximum SSI amount available to an individual claimant will go up from $967 per month to $994 per month. Eligible couples will be able to claim a joint monthly payment of up to $1,491, up from $1,450.

Extra state payments available

Some SSI beneficiaries are also eligible to receive an additional payment from their state. To find out more about the states that offer these supplements, check out this page on the SSA website.

When is Social Security sending out are other January 2026 benefits?

Most recipients of retirement, SSDI and survivor benefits will get next month’s money on the second, third or fourth Wednesday in January, depending on their date of birth:

• Born on 1st-10th of each month: Weds., Jan. 14
• Born on 11th-20th of each month: Weds., Jan. 21
• Born on 21st-31st of each month: Weds., Jan. 28

This three-Wednesdays schedule does not apply to recipients who started claiming retirement, survivor or SSDI benefits before May 1997. These long-term beneficiaries are to be paid on Friday, Jan. 2, irrespective of their date of birth.

What if you get both SSI and regular Social Security?

If you receive both SSI and any of the SSA’s retirement, SSDI or survivor benefits, you are to get the former on Dec. 31, followed by the latter on Jan. 2.

You can take a look at the SSA’s complete benefits-payment schedule for 2026 in this online calendar.

How does Social Security make benefits payments?

The SSA says it is “in most cases” no longer distributing benefits in paper-check format. Instead, the agency offers recipients two ways of picking up payments by electronic methods:

• Direct deposit

Beneficiaries can get their money by direct deposit, by supplying the SSA with their bank details.

Recipients of retirement, SSDI and survivor pay can supply their bank-account information on the online “my Social Security” portal. This service is not available to SSI beneficiaries, however; the agency says they must call 1-800-772-1213.

• Direct Express

Recipients can also have their benefits paid onto the Direct Express Card, a special debit card for federal payments made to people without a bank account. You can sign up for the card by calling 1-800-333-1795 or by visiting the Direct Express website.

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