Millions of people in the U.S. are about to receive their SSA payment, a bit earlier than normal. The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced that this Friday, 31st of October will send a new round of payments to beneficiaries of the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program.

The normal thing to happen is that the SSI payments are sent on the first day of each month, but when it coincides with a weekend or a federal holiday, the SSA moves the payment to the previous working day. This year November 1 is Saturday, so the payment will be moved to October 31. Let’s find out more information about this, shall we?

Who will receive the SSA payment this Friday?

People receiving the payment are the ones who belong to the SSI program. According to SSA’s most recent data, almost 7.5 million people benefit from this program in the entire country. The goal of the SSI is to help low income or resources people, especially 65-year-old people or older, or disabled people who can’t work.

The difference to other programs of the SSA, to receive the SSI you don’t need to have paid taxes to the Social Security because it’s a program based on necessity, not on work contributions.

Let’s talk about money

According to the Social Security Administration, the average monthly payment of the SSI is $717,84. However, the exact amount can vary depending on the cases:

An individual can receive up to $967 per month.
An eligible couple can get up to $1,450 per month.

In some states, beneficiaries can also receive additional payments funded by the state itself. To know more about this, you can go to the SSA official website and check which states offer these extra payments.

The SSA confirms higher payments for 2026

The great news for SSA beneficiaries is that next year SSI payments (and also retirement, SSDI, and survivor benefits) will increase 2.8%! This increment is due to the cost of living adjustment (COLA), which is a measure the SSA applies every year so that payments are up to date with inflation. The COLA guarantees the money the people receive don’t lose value as prices go up.

The higher payments for next year was officially confirmed last week. The first increased payment for SSI beneficiaries will arrive on December 31 of this year, which corresponds to the January of 2026 payment.

What about the other SSA benefits?

People who receive other types of benefits from the SSA, like retirement, disability (SSDI), or survivor payments, have a different schedule. The exact date depends on the birth day of the beneficiary. So, let’s have a look at how the schedule works:

Born between the 1st and 10th of any month: Paid on Wednesday, November 12.
Born between the 11th and 20th: Paid on Wednesday, November 19.
Born between the 21st and 31st: Paid on Wednesday, November 26.

IMPORTANT! There’s an exception: people who started receiving benefits before May 1997, will receive their payment on Monday 3rd of November. In this case, it doesn’t matter the birth date.

What if you receive the SSI and another SSA benefit?

Some American citizens are eligible to receive the SSI and another Social Security benefit. In this case, payments are sent separately:

Your SSI payment will arrive on October 31.
Your regular SSA benefit will arrive on November 3.

Will the government shutdown affect beneficiaries?

No, you shouldn’t worry about that. The SSA officially confirmed the payments will still be sent with no changes, despite the government shutdown that started on October 1.

How payments are sent

Today, the SSA  makes more than 99% of their payments electronically. The goal of this is to become completely digital and, therefore, make the payments faster and safer. There are two main ways of receiving the payments:

Direct deposit: this is the most common method because the SSA sends your money straight into your bank account. You can provide your bank information through your “my Social Security” online account.
Direct express debit card: this is designed for people who don’t have a bank account. The SSA loads your payment onto a Direct Express Card, which you can use just like a normal debit card to make purchases or withdraw cash.

As of September 30, the Social Security Administration says that in most cases, paper checks are no longer available. This move helps reduce fraud, saves money, and ensures that everyone receives their payments faster and more securely.

So, millions of American citizens will receive their payment from the SSA on October 31. If you are one of those, pay attention.