When Social Security Recipients Will Get Checks This Month
Planners, rejoice: September Social Security payments will go out on their typical monthly schedule, with no changes or interruptions anticipated.
Roughly 68 million Americans receive Social Security benefits every month, including about 9 out of every 10 people age 65 and up. Funds aren’t just for older folks, though. Payments go out to retirees, survivors of deceased workers, those with little to no resources, disabled workers, the blind, dependents and more.
The average Social Security payments for those different groups of people vary, but data from July shows the typical retirement benefit was about $2,032.
When will I get my September Social Security payment?
Your Social Security payment date is determined by your birthday.
If you were born on the first through the 10th of the month, you can expect to get your Social Security check on the second Wednesday of every month — in this case, Sept. 9.
If you were born on the 11th through the 20th of the month, you can expect to get your Social Security check on the third Wednesday of every month — in this case, Sept. 16.
If you were born on the 21st through the 31st, you can expect to get your Social Security check on the fourth Wednesday of every month — in this case, Sept. 23.
Where is my September SSI payment?
Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, payments are usually distributed on the first of each month, which means you can expect yours on Tuesday.
Folks who get both SSI and Social Security, as well as those who initially claimed Social Security prior to May 1997, will also get paid on Thursday (Sept. 3).
Where is my September Social Security payment?
Check the payment schedule above.
If you think your money is missing, you can reach out to the Social Security Administration. The SSA has both local offices and a toll-free national number. The national phone number is 1-800-772-1213. Representatives are available weekdays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time. Pro tip: The agency says wait times are shortest in the morning, late in the week and late in the month.
In any case, the SSA asks that you wait three mailing days before contacting it about a missing Social Security payment.
What is the SSA payment schedule for 2026?
You can find the SSA’s 2026 payment calendar on its website. Although it largely follows the schedule laid out above, some months are different.
To learn more about your payment status or to get additional help with Medicare, retirement benefits, disability, SSI and more, make a “my Social Security” account for free at SSA.gov.
The 2027 Social Security calendar has been released, as well. See it here.
When will the 2027 COLA be announced?
Each year’s cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, is based on inflation in the third quarter, which spans July, August and September. The SSA takes the average of the consumer price index for urban wage earners and clerical workers, or CPI-W, for those months once the data has been released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and then compares it to the previous year.
In 2026, that calculation is scheduled to happen the morning of Oct. 14. The formal COLA announcement should follow.
The latest estimates put the 2027 COLA between 3.4% and 3.6%. The first Social Security checks to actually include the COLA will go out Dec. 31.
How do I calculate my Social Security payment?
Benefits are generally calculated according to your average indexed monthly earnings, which include up to 35 years of your highest-earning years. The SSA then applies a formula to determine your primary insurance amount.
The amount of money retirees actually receive depends partially on their age. Although you can start getting Social Security retirement payments at 62 years old, the longer you wait to claim Social Security, the higher your payments will be (until age 70, when the increases stop).
For many Americans, this money is crucial — Social Security accounts for about 30% of the income received by folks over age 65. As people live longer and legislators wrestle over the future of Social Security, the cost of retirement is surging: In 2022, federal data shows retired households spent an average of $54,975, including $11,186 on shelter, $8,065 on transportation and $7,505 on health care.
