Social Security

Social Security to send out payments today - Wednesday, Nov. 26: this is who gets a check

In November 2025’s final batch of SSA payments, the agency is to issue benefits to certain Americans today.

Kevin Dietsch

British journalist and translator who joined Diario AS in 2013. Focuses on soccer – chiefly the Premier League, LaLiga, the Champions League, the Liga MX and MLS. On occasion, also covers American sports, general news and entertainment. Fascinated by the language of sport – particularly the under-appreciated art of translating cliché-speak.

Update: Nov 26th, 2025 02:53 EST

The Social Security Administration (SSA) is today due to round off its November payment schedule by issuing checks to millions of beneficiaries across the U.S.

Who’s getting a Social Security check today, Nov. 26?

Payments are to be distributed to a particular group of recipients of retirement benefits, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or survivor checks.

Of the 70 million Americans who receive retirement, SSDI or survivor benefits, most get their money on the second, third or fourth Wednesday in each month.

A beneficiary’s designated Wednesday is determined by the date of birth of the worker whose Social Security taxes have accumulated the benefits entitlement.

Today’s payments cover birthdays between the 21st and 31st of each month. This follows distribution dates on the past two Wednesdays - November 12 and 19; together, they accounted for birthdays between the first and 20th of each month.

At a glance - Nov. 2025’s Wednesday benefits payment schedule:

Born on 1st-10th of month: Weds., Nov. 12
Born on 11th-20th of month: Weds., Nov. 19
Born on 21st-31st of month: Weds., Nov. 26

Who isn’t paid their benefits on a Wednesday in Nov.?

Certain long-term Social Security beneficiaries

If you started receiving retirement, SSDI or survivor benefits before May 1997, your check typically goes out on the third day of each month, irrespective of your date of birth.

These long-term beneficiaries were therefore scheduled to be paid their November money on Monday, November 3.

SSI beneficiaries

The 7.5 million beneficiaries of the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) scheme - a separate SSA program for low-income individuals who are over 65 or have a disability - are normally paid on the first day of each month.

However, as November began on a Saturday, this month’s SSI payments were made early: on Friday, October 31.

Dual recipients (SSI + regular Social Security)

Some 2.5 million Americans claim both SSI and one of the SSA’s retirement, SSDI or survivor benefits.

These recipients were scheduled to get the former on October 31, followed by the latter on November 3.

At a glance: non-Wednesday beneficiaries in Nov.:

SSI recipients: Fri., Oct. 31
Pre-May ’97 Social Sec. beneficiaries: Mon., Nov. 3
Dual recipients: SSI on Oct. 31; Social Sec. on Nov. 3

How much are Social Security retirement benefits?

Retired workers - who represent the vast majority of the U.S.’s Social Security beneficiaries - are paid an average of $2,008.31 per month, per the latest figures released by the SSA. The maximum monthly retirement check currently stands at $5,108.

How much do disability, survivor and SSI beneficiaries get?

Disabled workers get a monthly average of $1,582.95, while beneficiaries of survivor checks receive $1,575.30 per month on average. Recipients of SSI benefits are paid an average of $717.84 per month.

Benefits to increase in 2026

In October, the SSA confirmed that its recipients are to get a 2.8% increase in their monthly checks, beginning in January 2026. This comes as part of the agency’s annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA).

For beneficiaries of Social Security retirement pay, this will lead to an average rise of $56 per month, the SSA says.

The first recipients of the increased monthly checks will be beneficiaries of the SSI scheme, whose January payment is scheduled to be made on December 31.

How does Social Security issue benefits payments?

Almost all benefits checks are now issued electronically, as the SSA seeks to goes fully paperless. As of September 30, the agency says beneficiaries are “in most cases” no longer being given the option of receiving a paper check in the mail.

The SSA provides beneficiaries with two ways of receiving electronic payments:

Direct deposit

Beneficiaries can get their money by direct deposit, by providing the agency with their bank details. You can supply this information on the “my Social Security” online portal.

Debit Express Card

Recipients can also have their benefits paid onto the Direct Express Card, a special debit card for federal payments made to people who do not have a bank account.

When are December’s Social Security payments being sent out?

The first SSA beneficiaries to get a check in December will be SSI recipients, whose money for next month is scheduled to go out on Monday 1.

This is one of two payments that will be sent out to SSI beneficiaries in December: as mentioned earlier in this article, January’s money is to go out on New Year’s Eve, because New Year’s Day is a holiday.

Long-term and dual Social Security beneficiaries will get December’s retirement, SSDI or survivor pay on Wednesday 3, before all other Social Security recipients are paid either on Wednesday 10, or on one of the two following Wednesdays:

Mon., Dec. 1: SSI beneficiaries
Weds., Dec 3: Long-term/dual beneficiaries
Weds., Dec. 10: Beneficiaries born 1st-10th
Weds., Dec. 17: Beneficiaries born 11th-20th
Weds., Dec. 24: Beneficiaries born 21st-31st
Weds., Dec. 31: SSI beneficiaries (Jan. payment)

You can take a look at the SSA’s complete benefits-distribution schedule for 2025 in this online calendar.