With November here and the government still shut down, millions of Americans are wondering if Social Security and SSI payments will be made. But rest assured, the Social Security Administration’s payment schedule has already sent out the payments. Since November 1 falls on a Saturday, the SSA already sent out all SSI payments on October 31, 2025.
The SSI exception
Unlike Social Security pensions, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is always sent on the first day of the month. If that day falls on a holiday, the SSA sends it a day early, rather than leaving recipients in a vulnerable position, where they may need the funds and end up in the red if the SSI assistance is delayed by a couple of days.
That’s why this year, the November payment was made on October 31 (Happy Halloween, I guess?). This means that SSI recipients received two payments in October—the October 1st payment and the November payment on October 31st—but remember that the second payment is simply an advance, not extra money.
SS payments for November 2025
SS benefits operate differently than SSI. It would be impossible to send all checks on the same day without causing a bureaucratic and financial collapse every month. That is why the SSA adopted a staggered method years ago in which the delivery of SS benefits depended on a single piece of information: the day of the month on which the pension recipient was born.
Well, there is also the group of veterans who began receiving their benefits almost 30 years ago. Those who have been receiving a pension since before May 1997—a feat of genetic longevity—will receive their pension on November 3, 2025.
For everyone else, the date is determined by their birthday. The SSA uses Wednesdays of each month to distribute the vast majority of payments:
Those born between the 1st and 10th of any month will receive their payment on the second Wednesday, November 12, 2025.
Those born between the 11th and 20th of any month will receive their check on the third Wednesday, November 19, 2025.
And those born between the 21st and 31st of any month will receive their payment on the fourth Wednesday, November 26, 2025. (Don’t fret, “the last shall be first.”)
What about the government shutdown?
Despite the stress caused by the government shutdown—they are taking their sweet, sweet time—SS and SSI payments are shielded, so beneficiaries will not stop receiving them. These benefits are considered Mandatory Spending. This means that they are financed by trust funds or by the U.S. Treasury (in the case of SSI) and do not depend on the annual appropriations bill that Congress has not yet passed.
However, we do have some bad news: if for any reason you need to file paperwork with the SSA or change any information, you will have to wait a long time. There are serious delays in administrative services. At the end of the day, only a skeleton staff remains in the SSA offices, just enough to continue sending out checks… But if you need to do something like process a new application for benefits, appeal a case, or have a replacement Social Security card issued, you’re going to have to wait a long time.
How to check for my Direct Deposit
If you usually receive an SSI payment, the November payment was already sent on October 31, 2025. If you do not receive your deposit on the scheduled day, the SSA advises waiting at least three business days before contacting them; sometimes, the delays are on the bank’s side. Make sure your mailing address and contact information are up to date with the SSA so they can reach you if there is a problem.