Social Security is sending out payments on Wednesday, Nov. 26: here’s who gets a check

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On Wednesday, the Social Security Administration (SSA) is due to issue checks to millions of Americans nationwide, in what is the final payment run on the agency’s benefits-distribution schedule for November.

Who’s receiving a Social Security payment on Nov. 26?

Payments are to be sent out to certain recipients of retirement benefits, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or survivor pay.

Of the just over 70 million Americans who receive retirement, SSDI or survivor benefits, most are paid on the second, third or fourth Wednesday in each month.

A beneficiary’s designated Wednesday is determined by the date of birth of the worker whose Social Security taxes have accumulated the benefits entitlement.

This Wednesday’s payments cover birthdays between the 21st and 31st of each month. Next week’s distribution date follows payment runs on the past two Wednesdays – November 12 and 19; together, they accounted for birthdays between the first and 20th of each month.

At a glance – Nov. 2025’s Wednesday payment schedule:

Born on 1st-10th of month: Weds., Nov. 12
Born on 11th-20th of month: Weds., Nov. 19
Born on 21st-31st of month: Weds., Nov. 26

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Who doesn’t get their benefits on a Wednesday in Nov.?

Some long-term Social Security beneficiaries

If you began claiming retirement, SSDI or survivor benefits before May 1997, your check typically goes out on the third day of each month, regardless of your date of birth.

These long-term beneficiaries were therefore scheduled to be paid their November money on Monday, November 3.

SSI recipients

The 7.5 million beneficiaries of the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) scheme – a separate SSA program for low-income individuals who are over 65 or have a disability – are normally paid on the first day of each month.

However, as November began on a Saturday, this month’s SSI payments were made early: on Friday, October 31.

Dual beneficiaries (SSI + regular Social Security)

Around 2.5 million people in the U.S. claim both SSI and one of the SSA’s retirement, SSDI or survivor benefits.

These recipients were scheduled to get the former on October 31, followed by the latter on November 3.

At a glance: non-Wednesday beneficiaries in Nov.:

SSI recipients: Fri., Oct. 31
Pre-May ’97 Social Sec. beneficiaries: Mon., Nov. 3
Dual recipients: SSI on Oct. 31; Social Sec. on Nov. 3

You can check out the SSA’s complete benefits-distribution schedule for 2025 in this online calendar.

How much are Social Security retirement benefits?

Retired workers – who account for the majority of the U.S.’s Social Security beneficiaries – get an average of $2,008.31 per month, per the latest figures released by the SSA. The maximum monthly retirement check stands at $5,108 in 2025.

Want to know your new Social Security benefit amount when it becomes available in December? Go Digital! Create your personal my Social Security account before November 20 to find out your new benefit amount online, three weeks earlier than by mail! Visit: https://t.co/oXs9YiKl6z.

— Social Security (@SocialSecurity) November 18, 2025

How much is paid to disability, survivor and SSI beneficiaries?

Disabled workers receive $1,582.95 per month on average, while beneficiaries of survivor checks are paid an average of $1,575.30 per month. Recipients of SSI payments get an average of $717.84 per month.

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Benefits recipients to get COLA increase in 2026

In October, the SSA announced that its recipients will benefit from a 2.8% increase in their monthly checks, beginning in January 2026. This comes as part of the agency’s annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA).

For beneficiaries of Social Security retirement pay, this will lead to an average rise of $56 per month, the SSA says.

The first recipients of the increased monthly checks will be beneficiaries of the SSI scheme, whose January payment is scheduled to be made on December 31.

How does the Social Security Administration make benefits payments?

Almost all benefits checks are now issued electronically, as the SSA seeks to goes fully paperless. As of September 30, the agency says beneficiaries are “in most cases” no longer being given the option of receiving a paper check in the mail.

The SSA gives beneficiaries two ways of receiving electronic payments:

Direct deposit

Beneficiaries can get their money by direct deposit, by providing the agency with their bank details. You can supply this information on the “my Social Security” online portal.

Debit Express Card

Recipients can also have their benefits paid onto the Direct Express Card, a special debit card for federal payments made to people without a bank account.

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