Social Security Payments December 2026
Birthdays on the 1st-10th are paid Wednesday, December 9, 2026, birthdays on the 11th-20th Wednesday, December 16, 2026 and birthdays on the 21st-31st Wednesday, December 23, 2026. Benefits paid on the 3rd arrive Thursday, December 3, 2026, and SSI is paid Tuesday, December 1, 2026.
Maintained by Archie Chang · Schedule checked against SSA's calendar and 20 CFR 404.1807 October 27, 2026 · Methodology & sources
These 2026 dates are SSA's official Schedule of Social Security Benefit Payments (Publication No. 05-10031), and the rules below reproduce every one of them.
December 2026 payment dates
| Who | Paid on | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Insured worker born on the 1st-10th (second Wednesday) | Wed, Dec 9 | Regular day |
| Insured worker born on the 11th-20th (third Wednesday) | Wed, Dec 16 | Regular day |
| Insured worker born on the 21st-31st (fourth Wednesday) | Wed, Dec 23 | Regular day |
| Record with an application filed before May 1997, Social Security paid with SSI, or another 3rd-of-month case | Thu, Dec 3 | Regular day |
| Supplemental Security Income (SSI) | Tue, Dec 1 | Regular day |
SSDI is paid on the same birthday schedule as Social Security retirement and survivor benefits. SSI recipients who also get Social Security are paid Social Security on the 3rd and SSI on the 1st.
Holiday and weekend shifts in December 2026
No payment moves from its regular day in this period.
Federal holidays in December 2026: Christmas Day (December 25).
Deposits dated in December
- Tuesday, December 1, 2026: SSI
- Thursday, December 3, 2026: The 3rd
- Wednesday, December 9, 2026: Birthday 1st-10th
- Wednesday, December 16, 2026: Birthday 11th-20th
- Wednesday, December 23, 2026: Birthday 21st-31st
- Thursday, December 31, 2026: SSI (the January 2027 payment, paid early)
- Thursday, December 31, 2026: The 3rd (the January 2027 payment, paid early)
This is why SSI can show zero or two deposits in a calendar month. See the SSI payment schedule for every double-payment month.
How the dates are set
Birthday groups follow the day of the month the insured worker was born (second, third or fourth Wednesday), SSI is paid on the 1st, and a date that is a weekend or federal holiday moves to the day before.
The regulation text, the exceptions for the 3rd-of-month group and the rule for people paid on more than one record are in the 2026 payment schedule rules.
December 2026 payment questions
When are Social Security payments made in December 2026?
Birthdays on the 1st-10th are paid Wednesday, December 9, 2026, 11th-20th Wednesday, December 16, 2026 and 21st-31st Wednesday, December 23, 2026. Records with an application filed before May 1997, and Social Security paid together with SSI, are paid Thursday, December 3, 2026. SSI is paid Tuesday, December 1, 2026. The birthday is usually the insured worker's, so a spouse or child normally follows the worker.
Does any December 2026 payment move for a holiday?
No. The scheduled day for each group is a business day, so every payment is made on its regular day.
How many SSI payments arrive in December 2026?
2: Tuesday, December 1, 2026 and Thursday, December 31, 2026. One is the next month's payment, which SSA pays early when the 1st of that month is a weekend or federal holiday. It is not an extra payment.
Related: SSI payment schedule and double-payment months · Social Security payment schedule 2027 · Social Security COLA 2027
Sources (checked October 27, 2026): SSA: Schedule of Social Security Benefit Payments 2026 · SSA: Schedule of Social Security Benefit Payments 2027 · 20 CFR 404.1807 (monthly payment day) · 20 CFR 416.502 (SSI manner of payment) · Social Security Act section 708 (delivery of benefit checks) · SSA: Getting Two SSI Payments in One Month · SSA FAQ: payment date on a weekend or holiday