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When Do I Get My Social Security Payment in July?
Learn when benefits typically arrive and which groups have different payment calendars
5 min read
Key takeaways
- Most Social Security payments follow a staggered schedule tied to beneficiaries’ dates of birth.
- There’s a different calendar for some beneficiaries, including those who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or live abroad.
- Payments are electronic, typically by direct deposit to beneficiaries’ bank accounts. Only a tiny fraction of recipients still get Social Security checks.
Social Security pays benefits in the month following the month for which they are due. The payment you receive in July is for your June benefit. For most people, that payment arrives on the second, third or fourth Wednesday of the month, but there are several exceptions.
Here are the Social Security payment dates for July 2026.
Wednesday, July 1: Beneficiaries who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), an SSA-administered benefit for people with low incomes and limited financial assets who are age 65 or older, blind or have a disability.
Thursday, July 2: Beneficiaries who …
- receive both SSI and a Social Security retirement, disability, family or survivor benefit (SSI comes on the 1st, the Social Security benefit on the 2nd);
- live abroad;
- are enrolled in a Medicare Savings Program;
- or have been receiving Social Security payments since before May 1, 1997.
These groups of beneficiaries are typically paid on the 3rd of the month, but this year the government observes Independence Day on Friday, July 3 (because July 4 falls on a Saturday), and the SSA does not make payments on federal holidays.
Wednesday, July 8: Social Security beneficiaries with birthdays between the 1st and 10th of their birth month.
Wednesday, July 15: Beneficiaries with birthdays between the 11th and 20th of their birth month.
Wednesday, July 22: Beneficiaries with birthdays between the 21st and the end of their birth month.
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 what Social Security calls “auxiliary benefits” 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. Prior to 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 2026 payment dates.
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 June 2026, only about 283,000 people, less than 0.4 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 change in the July 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's national customer service line (800-772-1213) or contact your local field office.
- You can check your payment date online if you have a My Social Security account (you’ll find it on your account home page) or by calling the customer service line (when you hear, “How can I help you today?” say, “Check delivery").
The key takeaways were created with the assistance of generative AI. An AARP editor reviewed and refined the content for accuracy and clarity.
- Schedule of Social Security Payments, Social Security Administration
- Cyclical Payment of Social Security Benefits, Social Security Administration
- What You Need to Know When You Get Retirement or Survivors' Benefits, Social Security Administration
- "Social Security to Fully Transition to Electronic Payments," Social Security Matters, Social Security Administration
- Social Security Direct Deposit, Social Security Administration
Andy Markowitz is an AARP senior writer and editor covering Social Security and retirement. He is a former editor of the Prague Post and Baltimore City Paper.
Phil Pruitt is an AARP writer and editor focusing on Social Security. He is a former editor at Scripps News and Yahoo News and was on the start-up staff at USA Today, where he held numerous editing positions.
Stephen Richardson is a retired New England regional communications director for the Social Security Administration and AARP consultant on Social Security benefit issues. He began his career with the agency in 1982 as a claims representatives.
