Because the benefits program serves such a large population, the Social Security Administration (SSA) spreads payments throughout the month rather than sending them all at once.
Why It Matters
More than 70 million people depend on Social Security each month for essential income, including retirement, disability, and survivor benefits.
When Are Payments Coming in March 2026?
Most recipients are paid based on their date of birth, but some follow a different schedule. People who began receiving retirement, spousal, or survivor benefits before May 1997—as well as those who receive both Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI)—are paid on separate dates.
SSI provides monthly financial assistance to older adults with limited income and to people who are blind or living with disabilities.
The March payment dates are as follows:
- Friday, February 27: SSI payments for March.
- Tuesday, March 3: Social Security for those born before May 1997 and SSI recipients.
- Wednesday, March 11: Social Security for those with birthdays between the 1st and 10th of any month.
- Wednesday, March 18: Birthdays between 11th and 20th.
- Wednesday, March 25: Birthdays between 21st and 31st.
As the usual SSI payment date—the 1st—falls on a weekend, recipients will receive their March payment a day earlier.
“When the first day of the month falls on the weekend or a federal holiday, you receive your SSI payment on the last business day before the first day of the month. That means you may get two SSI payments in the same month,” the SSA wrote in a 2022 blog post.
“We do this to avoid putting you at a financial disadvantage and make sure that you don’t have to wait beyond the first of the month to get your payment. It does not mean that you are receiving a duplicate payment in the previous month, so you do not need to contact us to report the second payment.”
If your payment has not arrived as scheduled, you should wait three working days before contacting the SSA.
Latest Social Security News
A new report warns that Social Security benefits could face major cuts if lawmakers fail to fix the program’s funding gap.
The Congressional Budget Office now projects the Social Security retirement trust fund will be depleted in 2032: one year earlier than previously expected. If no action is taken, benefits would be paid only from incoming revenue, mainly payroll taxes.
This would result in an immediate 7 percent cut in 2032, followed by much steeper reductions averaging about 28 percent per year between 2033 and 2036.