Millions of Americans will receive their Social Security benefits in October—but when will you get yours?
Why It Matters
More than 70 million Americans count on the Social Security Administration (SSA) for financial support, whether through retirement checks or disability benefits. Because of the program’s size, payments are spread across the month instead of being sent all at once.
When Are Social Security Payments Coming in September 2025?
For most retirees, payment dates depend on their birthday. However, there are exceptions. Those who began receiving retirement, spousal, or survivor benefits before May 1997—or who also get Supplemental Security Income (SSI)—follow a different schedule. SSI is a federal program that provides monthly assistance to low-income seniors over 65, along with individuals who are blind or disabled.
Payments in October will arrive on these dates:
Wednesday, October 1: SSI payments.Friday, October 3: Social Security benefits for those who also collect SSI.Wednesday, October 8: Retirement, spousal and survivor benefits for those born between the 1st and 10th of any calendar month.Wednesday, October 15: Benefits for those born between the 11th and 20th.Wednesday, October 27: Benefits for those with birthdays between the 21st and 31st.
Stock image of a Social Security card with U.S. Dollars and a Treasury check.
Stock image of a Social Security card with U.S. Dollars and a Treasury check.
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SSI recipients will be paid twice in October, getting their November installment slightly earlier than usual due to the usual payment date falling on a weekend.
“When the first day of the month falls on the weekend or a federal holiday, you receive your SSI payment on the last business day before the first day of the month. That means you may get two SSI payments in the same month,” the SSA wrote in a 2022 blog post.
“We do this to avoid putting you at a financial disadvantage and make sure that you don’t have to wait beyond the first of the month to get your payment. It does not mean that you are receiving a duplicate payment in the previous month, so you do not need to contact us to report the second payment,” the agency continued.
The SSA advises beneficiaries to wait at least three business days before contacting the agency if their deposit or check does not arrive on schedule. Weekends and public holidays do not count as business days.
2026 COLA
Benefit recipients will learn in October how much their payments will rise next year.
The SSA sets the annual Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) using the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). This index tracks inflation based on the spending of working-age households, not retirees.
Since 1975, the SSA has used CPI-W data from July through September to determine whether benefits should increase to keep pace with costs like housing, food, and health care.
The 2026 COLA will cover all SSA programs—retirement, spousal, survivor, and SSI. Any increase will appear in checks starting January 2026.
The Senior Citizens League, which provides regular predictions on how much the COLA will be, currently projects a 2.7 percent adjustment.