When are Social Security benefits sent out in Dec. 2025? Here’s this month’s payment schedule

The Social Security Administration (SSA) is midway through its December benefits-distribution schedule, with three out of six payment dates remaining this month.

Disbursements are going out to retirees, recipients of survivor pay, and beneficiaries of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

Per the SSA’s official payment schedule:

• SSI pay is issued on the first day of each month.
• Retirement, survivor and SSDI benefits for individuals who began claiming before May 1997 are sent on the third day of the month.
• For those who receive both SSI and retirement/survivor/SSDI benefits, the former is paid on the first, and the latter on the third.

All other Social Security payments are made on one of three Wednesdays in each month, based on the birth date of the worker who accrued the benefits entitlement:

• 2nd Weds.: Birthdays from the 1st to 10th of each month
• 3rd Weds.: Birthdays from the 11th to 20th of each month
• 4th Weds.: Birthdays from the 21st to 31st of each month

If a scheduled payment date falls on a weekend or federal holiday, the SSA brings it forward to the nearest working day.

This, for example, will be the case for January 2026’s SSI payment, as New Year’s Day is a federal holiday.

Social Security payment schedule in December 2025:

• Mon., Dec. 1: SSI recipients (Dec. payment)
• Weds., Dec. 3: Retirement/survivor/SSDI beneficiaries since pre-May 1997; dual beneficiaries
• Weds., Dec. 10: Birthdays between 1st and 10th
• Weds., Dec. 17: Birthdays between 11th and 20th
• Weds., Dec. 24: Birthdays between 21st and 31st
• Weds., Dec. 31: SSI recipients (Jan. payment)

How much are SSA retirement benefits per month in 2025?

The exact amount paid to each recipient of retirement benefits varies, as it is calculated based on factors such as an individual’s earnings history, and the age at which they began claiming.

In its most recent Social Security fact sheet, the SSA said retired workers receive an average of $2,012.30. The highest amount available to a retiree in 2025 is $5,108.

What about other SSA benefits?

Per the SSA, disabled workers get a monthly average of $1,588.44, and beneficiaries of survivor pay receive an average of $1,575.89 a month. SSI recipients are paid $717.51 a month.

Paper checks a thing of the past

The SSA says it is “in most cases” no longer sending out benefits in paper-check format.

The agency offers recipients two ways of being paid electronically: by direct deposit into their bank account; or by having their benefits loaded onto the Direct Express Card, a special debit card for federal payments.

You can find out more about how to receive e-payments in this explainer on the SSA’s website.

Benefits to increase in 2026

Each year, the SSA applies a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to the benefits its distributes. This fall, the agency announced that recipients are to see a 2.8% COLA increase in benefit amounts in 2026.

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