Millions of Social Security recipients will have to wait a bit longer for their payments in January.
Because of the January 2026 calendar, many seniors’ checks will arrive on a later Wednesday, according to the official SSA schedule.
Why It Matters
More than 70 million Americans rely on Social Security every month, whether for disability, survivor or retirement benefits.
While seniors are paid on roughly the same date every month, the days on which dates fall can impact when exactly the money arrives in their account.
What To Know
There’s a slightly longer wait for Social Security benefits in January because January 1 falls on a Thursday.
Based on the SSA schedule, most Social Security payments are sent out on the second, third or fourth Wednesday of the month according to the recipient’s birth date.
Because January starts on a Thursday, the Wednesdays of payments have been pushed to the last possible day.
This is the schedule for Social Security benefits in 2026:
- Born on 1st-10th of month: Wednesday, January 14
- Born on 11th-20th of month: Wednesday, January 21
- Born on 21st-31st of month: Wednesday, January 28
However, long term recipients who began claiming retirement, disability or survivor benefits before May 1997 will see their payments on Friday, January 2.
For the 2 million people on SSA’s Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and retirement Social Security, their payments will arrive on December 31 and January 2.
Also starting in January, benefits will increase by 2.8 percent in line with the inflationary cost of living adjustment.
What People Are Saying
Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek: “You can blame 2026’s calendar as the reasoning for Social Security payments coming a tad later than usual during the month of January. The majority of funds from Social Security are distributed on the second, third, and fourth Wednesdays of the month. Because January 1 falls on a Thursday for 2026, this equates to those payments going out on the latest possible dates for distribution. Recipients need to plan accordingly to ensure they’re not blindsided by the short delay.”
Michael Ryan, a finance expert and the founder of MichaelRyanMoney.com, previously told Newsweek: “Only about 1 percent of the 74 million Social Security beneficiaries still receive paper checks. If that’s you, switching to direct deposit eliminates this problem in the future. No closures, no mail delays, no stress.”
What Happens Next
The SSA also updated its schedule so that offices will be open on Wednesday, December 24th and Friday, December 26th from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (local time).
The next and only time this will happen in 2026 is in October. In that month, the second Wednesday also falls on October 14.