More than 70 million people in the United States rely on Social Security for their livelihood, whether it’s retirement benefits, disability assistance, or survivor benefits, which serve as a crucial economic support for many families.
According to a report from Newsweek on November 12th, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has released the schedule for Social Security payments in December 2025. Due to the large scale of payments, the SSA typically disburses them in batches to avoid system congestion.
The SSA has announced the following for the upcoming month:
Due to January 1, 2026 being a federal holiday, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries will receive their January benefits on December 31, 2025 in advance, which means that there might be two SSI payments in your account in December. The SSA emphasizes that this is not an overpayment but a timing adjustment to ensure beneficiaries have their living expenses at the beginning of the month.
An SSA spokesperson stated, “We make early payments if the first day of the month falls on a weekend or holiday. This is simply a timing adjustment and not a duplicate payment.”
Starting in 2026, Social Security payments will be increased by 2.8%. SSI beneficiaries will be the first to experience this adjustment starting from December 2025, while other beneficiaries will see the increase from January 2026 onwards. This Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) means that on average, retirees will receive an additional $56 per month.
Frank J. Bisignano, the Commissioner of the SSA, said, “Social Security is a solemn commitment. Through annual adjustments, we ensure that benefits reflect the current economic reality, providing stable and reliable financial security for all Americans.”
The SSA advises individuals who are applying for Social Security for the first time or have recently changed their bank accounts or addresses to update their information early on the official website (ssa.gov) to avoid any delays in receiving their payments.