While November may be inching towards a close, the Social Security Administration (SSA) is not yet done with its benefit payments for the month. There are currently over 74 million beneficiaries in the Social Security program, and rather than attempting to issue 74 million payments on one singular day each month, the agency has developed a payment structure whereby benefits are issued on a Wednesday rotation throughout the month. Payments are issued specifically on the second, third, and fourth Wednesday of each month, with the beneficiary’s date of birth determining the specific week during which they will receive payment.
For the current month of November, all but one payment has already been issued. The remaining cohort of beneficiaries who are still awaiting their November benefit will have their check issued to them on November 26th. Here is what you need to know.
Payment schedule for November
The SSA prepares and uploads its official benefit payment schedule for the full calendar year well in advance. This allows beneficiaries to prepare the budgets for each month or the year around their respective benefit payment dates. The SSA’s official payment schedule contains payment dates for both the regular Social Security benefit, as well as the Supplemental Security Income. The regular Social Security benefit constitutes of retiree benefits, spousal benefits, survivor benefits, and disability benefits. The Supplemental Security Income, or SSI benefit, is a type of welfare benefit that is issued to individuals who are blind, or aged 65 and older, who has little to no other income or resources.
The regular Social Security benefit is issued on the second, third, and fourth Wednesday of each month. The agency has categorized all of its beneficiaries into three distinct groups, which is determined based on date of birth. The groups are outlined as follows:
- Second Wednesday — beneficiaries with birth dates from the 1st to the 10th of their respective birth month
- Third Wednesday — beneficiaries with birth dates from the 11th to the 20th of their respective birth month
- Fourth Wednesday — beneficiaries with birth dates from the 21st to the 31st of their respective birth month
According to the SSA’s official benefit payment schedule, two of the three total cohorts will have already received their benefit for November, with the remaining cohort scheduled to receive payment next Wednesday on November 26th. It is also important to note that payment dates vary slightly for beneficiaries who have been receiving Social Security since May of 1997, or those who receive both Social Security and the Supplemental Security Income. As such, here is a complete outline of all scheduled benefit payment dates for November:
- Friday, October 31st — Supplemental Security Income for November
- Monday, November 3rd — Social Security for those who had been receiving Social Security before May 1997, or for those who also receive the Supplemental Security Income
- Wednesday, November 12th — recipients with birth dates from the 1st to the 10th
- Wednesday, November 19th — recipients with birth dates from the 11th to the 20th
- Wednesday, November 26th — recipients with birth dates from the 21st to the 31st
2.8% increase to all benefits in 2026
Each year, all benefits issued by the SSA are increased to account for year over year inflation hikes. This is known as the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), and on October 24th, the SSA announced a 2.8% for all benefits starting in January 2026. The average retiree check currently amounts to around $2,008 and as such, the average COLA increase for retirees equates to around $56.
The maximum benefit amount issued by the SSA in 2025 totals to $5,108, and this will also increase by 2.8% in 2026 once the COLA increase takes effect. This substantial benefit amount is issued to retirees with delayed retirement credits who were able to earn an income equivalent to the wage cap for 35 years.