Social Security Payment Schedule 2026
Quick answer
Social Security pays on a Wednesday set by the birthday of the person whose work record the benefits are on: born the 1st–10th, the 2nd Wednesday; 11th–20th, the 3rd Wednesday; 21st–31st, the 4th Wednesday. People whose benefits started before May 1997, or who also get SSI, are paid on the 3rd. In January 2026 they fall on the 14th, 21st and 28th.
Next Social Security payment: Wednesday, October 28, 2026
These dates match SSA’s 2026 payment schedule (Publication 05-10031) date for date.
Your Social Security dates for 2026
Use the birthday of the person whose work record the benefits are paid on. For a spouse or child, that’s the worker’s birthday, not yours.
When are Social Security payments in 2026?
Each row is the payment that arrives in that month. Find your column by birthday.
| Month | Birthday 1st–10th2nd Wednesday | Birthday 11th–20th3rd Wednesday | Birthday 21st–31st4th Wednesday | Paid on the 3rdthe 3rd |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Wed, Jan 14 | Wed, Jan 21 | Wed, Jan 28 | Fri, Jan 2moved from Sat, Jan 3 |
| February | Wed, Feb 11 | Wed, Feb 18 | Wed, Feb 25 | Tue, Feb 3 |
| March | Wed, Mar 11 | Wed, Mar 18 | Wed, Mar 25 | Tue, Mar 3 |
| April | Wed, Apr 8 | Wed, Apr 15 | Wed, Apr 22 | Fri, Apr 3 |
| May | Wed, May 13 | Wed, May 20 | Wed, May 27 | Fri, May 1moved from Sun, May 3 |
| June | Wed, Jun 10 | Wed, Jun 17 | Wed, Jun 24 | Wed, Jun 3 |
| July | Wed, Jul 8 | Wed, Jul 15 | Wed, Jul 22 | Thu, Jul 2moved from Fri, Jul 3 |
| August | Wed, Aug 12 | Wed, Aug 19 | Wed, Aug 26 | Mon, Aug 3 |
| September | Wed, Sep 9 | Wed, Sep 16 | Wed, Sep 23 | Thu, Sep 3 |
| October | Wed, Oct 14 | Wed, Oct 21 | Wed, Oct 28 | Fri, Oct 2moved from Sat, Oct 3 |
| November | Tue, Nov 10moved from Wed, Nov 11 | Wed, Nov 18 | Wed, Nov 25 | Tue, Nov 3 |
| December | Wed, Dec 9 | Wed, Dec 16 | Wed, Dec 23 | Thu, Dec 3 |
Which 2026 payments move because of a holiday or weekend?
When the scheduled day is a federal holiday (or, for the 3rd, a weekend), SSA pays on the business day before. In 2026 that moves 5 payments:
- Birthday 1st–10th: Tue, Nov 10 instead of Wed, Nov 11
- Paid on the 3rd: Fri, Jan 2 instead of Sat, Jan 3
- Paid on the 3rd: Fri, May 1 instead of Sun, May 3
- Paid on the 3rd: Thu, Jul 2 instead of Fri, Jul 3
- Paid on the 3rd: Fri, Oct 2 instead of Sat, Oct 3
Who is paid on the 3rd instead of a Wednesday?
SSA’s handbook (§ 121.3) lists who stays on the 3rd even after May 1997, including people who also get SSI, people whose Medicare premiums are paid by their state, beneficiaries living outside the US, and anyone entitled on the same record as one of them.
How much more are payments in 2026?
Payments in 2026 already include the 2026 cost-of-living adjustment. The next one, 3.6% for 2027, shows up in payments from January 2027.
What if a payment doesn’t arrive?
SSA’s schedule asks you to allow three additional mailing days before contacting Social Security.
See every 2026 payment day
January 4 dates
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
February 4 dates
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
March 4 dates
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 | 31 |
April 4 dates
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
May 4 dates
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | |||||
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| 31 |
June 4 dates
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 28 | 29 | 30 |
July 4 dates
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
August 4 dates
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||||
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| 30 | 31 |
September 4 dates
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
October 4 dates
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
November 4 dates
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 |
December 4 dates
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
Put your payment days on your phone
Pick your group. The calendar updates itself if a date ever changes.
+ Birthday 1st–10th+ Birthday 11th–20th+ Birthday 21st–31st+ Paid on the 3rd
Printable 2026 calendar · SSI 2026 · SSDI 2026 · Social Security 2027
Sources
- SSA, Schedule of Social Security Benefit Payments 2026 (Publication No. 05-10031) (checked 2026-10-28)
- SSA, Social Security Handbook § 121: Payment Dates (checked 2026-10-28)
- SSA, 2027 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Fact Sheet (checked 2026-10-28)
Last verified October 28, 2026 against the sources above. How we check dates · Corrections