When Will Your Social Security Checks Arrive? (What Beneficiaries Should Know)

November and December 2026 Social Security Payments: What to Expect

The Social Security Administration publishes annual benefit payment calendars so recipients can plan ahead. These schedules apply to retirement benefits, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), and SSI.

November and December 2026 Retirement and Disability Payment Dates

For retirees and disability beneficiaries who began receiving Social Security benefits after May 1997, payments are normally issued on the second, third, and fourth Wednesdays of each month based on birth date.

In November 2026, the Veterans Day holiday on Wednesday, November 11 shifts the first cohort’s payment one day earlier:

• Tuesday, November 10 – Birthdays between the 1st and 10th (shifted from Wednesday, Nov. 11 due to Veterans Day)
• Wednesday, November 18 – Birthdays between the 11th and 20th
• Wednesday, November 25 – Birthdays between the 21st and the end of the month

In December 2026, Wednesday payments follow the standard schedule with no holiday shifts:

• Wednesday, December 9 – Birthdays between the 1st and 10th
• Wednesday, December 16 – Birthdays between the 11th and 20th
• Wednesday, December 23 – Birthdays between the 21st and the end of the month

Beneficiaries who started receiving benefits before May 1997, as well as those who receive both Social Security and SSI, are paid on the 3rd of the month. Their remaining 2026 payments arrive on Tuesday, November 3 and Thursday, December 3 (and their January 2027 payment arrives early on Thursday, December 31, 2026, because January 3 falls on a Sunday).