When do I get my Social Security payment in January?

How does the Social Security payment calendar work?

If you collect retirement benefits or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), the payment date is determined by your birthday. If you get benefits based on someone else’s earnings record — for example, a survivor benefit or spouse benefit —  your payment date is determined by that person’s birthday, not yours.

Here’s how it works:

• If the birthday is on the 1st through the 10th, you are paid on the second Wednesday of each month.
• If the birthday is on the 11th through the 20th, you are paid on the third Wednesday of the month.
• If the birthday is on the 21st through the 31st, you are paid on the fourth Wednesday of the month.

Why do payments go out on different days?

The SSA adopted this staggered schedule in June 1997. Before that, all benefit payments went out on the third day of the month, but that became unwieldy as the number of beneficiaries grew.

Most people who started receiving benefits before May 1, 1997, are still paid on the third of the month. The third is also the monthly pay date for these groups of Social Security beneficiaries:

• Those who live abroad.
• Those enrolled in Medicare Savings Programs, which provide state financial help for paying Medicare premiums.
• Those who collect both Social Security and SSI. If you are in this group, you get your SSI on the first of the month and your Social Security on the third.

Social Security has an online calendar showing all the payment dates for 2026.

How are Social Security benefits paid?

Benefits are paid electronically. On the scheduled date, you will receive your payment by direct deposit to a designated bank account or via a Direct Express debit card.

The standard method for receiving your benefit is by direct deposit. You can set up direct deposit when applying for benefits online via your My Social Security account (click on the “My Profile” tab), by phone at 800-772-1213 or in person at a local Social Security office (call the same number to make an appointment).

If you need to change your direct deposit bank information later, you will need to verify your identity, which you can do in-person at an SSA office, online with a My Social Security account, or by phone if you use the Security Authentication PIN (SAP) feature.

An alternative to getting benefits by direct deposit is to get a Direct Express debit card. Your benefits are deposited directly onto the card, which you can use like any other debit card to make purchases, pay bills and withdraw cash. You can sign up by calling 800-333-1795.

What happened to Social Security checks?

The SSA stopped mailing paper checks to most beneficiaries in 2013 to eliminate the expense of postal delivery. As of October 2025, only about 322,000 people, less than 0.5 percent of all beneficiaries, were still receiving their benefits via physical checks.

Under an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in March 2025, federal agencies are working to fully phase out paper payments. The SSA is encouraging beneficiaries who are still receiving checks to switch to electronic payments. For instructions, visit the U.S. Treasury Department’s GoDirect website or call its Electronic Payments Solutions Center at 800-333-1795.

The SSA can issue a waiver to allow paper payments, but only in very limited circumstances — for example, if a beneficiary lacks access to banking or internet services or has a severe mental or physical impairment that makes managing electronic payments difficult. To request a waiver, call 855-290-1545 or complete and submit a waiver form.

What else should I know about Social Security payment dates?

• If a scheduled pay date falls on a weekend or federal holiday, payments are made on the first preceding day that isn’t a Saturday, Sunday or holiday — hence the changes in the January payment schedule noted above.
• If you don’t receive your benefit on time, the SSA recommends checking with your bank or financial institution first. It may be a delay in posting the payment on their end. To report a payment as late, missing or stolen, call Social Security at 800-772-1213 or contact your local SSA field office.