Despite what has now become the longest government shutdown in American history, all Social Security benefits for November will be rolled out to recipients on schedule with no delays. The first of three major batches of Social Security benefits has already been sent out to recipients as of Wednesday, November 12th, which was yesterday. The next batch of benefit payments is scheduled for next Wednesday, which is November 19th. Here is everything you need to know about how the Social Security Administration (SSA) structures its payment schedule, as well as a complete outline of all payments scheduled for the month of November.
When to expect your Social Security benefit
The Social Security program provides financial support to tens of millions of vulnerable individuals across the country each month. Many of these vulnerable individuals rely primarily on their monthly benefit checks to cover their expenses and as such, there is practically no room for error when it comes to the roll out of these benefit checks each month. As such, the SSA follows a very specific payment structure when it rolls out benefit checks on a monthly basis.
The SSA’s official benefit payment schedule can be found on the agency’s website. The schedule contains payment dates for both the regular Social Security benefit, as well as the Supplemental Security Income for the full calendar year. The regular Social Security benefit, which includes retiree benefits, survivor or spousal benefits, and disability benefits, are paid on Wednesdays throughout the month relative to the date of birth of the recipient. Payment days are split across the second, third, and fourth Wednesday of each month.
The Supplemental Security Income, which is a sort of welfare benefit that is paid to those who have little to no other resources or income (often as a result of a disability), is typically issued to recipients on the first of each month. If, however, the first of the month falls on a weekend or a holiday, the SSA will issue the payment on the last working day of the previous month. This is done so as to avoid any delays on the part of the beneficiary, meaning that they will have their benefit as the month begins rather than waiting for the first working day of the new month.
November benefit schedule
Benefit payments for the current month of November have already begun rolling out. The next payment that will be issued by the SSA this month will be next Wednesday, on November 19th. This payment will be for all Social Security recipients with birth dates from the 11th to the 20th of their respective birth month.
Listed below are payment dates for all November benefits (both Social Security and Supplemental Security Income):
- 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 — Social Security for recipients with birth dates from the 1st to the 10th of their respective birth months
- Wednesday, November 19th — Social Security for recipients with birth dates from the 11th to the 20th of their respective birth months
- Wednesday, November 26th — Social Security for recipients with birth dates from the 21st to the 31st of their respective birth months
2.8% COLA boost for all benefits in 2026
Each year, all benefits issued by the SSA undergo an increase aimed at countering the effects of year over year inflation. This increase is known as the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), and for 2026, all benefits will be increased by 2.8%, as per the October 24th announcement from the SSA. This increase will take effect with the benefits for January 2026. For a retiree earning the average benefit amount, this 2.8% boost will bring an additional $56 to their benefit check.