People who get Social Security checks on the 3rd of the month are generally those who started receiving benefits before May 1997, or those who receive both Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) (their Social Security check comes on the 3rd, SSI on the 1st), or beneficiaries living abroad/with state-paid Medicare premiums. For others, payment dates vary by birth date, falling on the second, third, or fourth Wednesday of the month.
Social Security payments are generally made on the third Wednesday of the month for people born between the 11th and 20th of the month, while those receiving both Social Security and SSI, or who started benefits before May 1997, get paid on the 3rd of the month regardless of their birthday, as noted by the Social Security Administration (SSA) and Investopedia.
The government check that typically arrives on the 3rd of the month is Social Security (SSA) benefits, specifically for those who started receiving benefits before May 1997, receive both Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or live in a foreign country. For most others, Social Security payments are scheduled on the second, third, or fourth Wednesday of the month, depending on your birth date, while SSI generally comes on the 1st.
If you receive regular Social Security benefits (not SSI), your payment will arrive on one of the following dates, based on your birthdate and when you first began collecting benefits: Wednesday, Sept. 3: For those who started receiving Social Security before May 1997.
If you don't receive your electronic payment on its due date, please call your bank or financial institution first. They may be experiencing a delay in posting your payment. If you still need to report a missing payment, call us at our toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213.
If a scheduled payment date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or federal holiday, SSA issues the payment on the last business day before the holiday. This may result in two payments in one month or a slight delay in the following month.
You get two Social Security checks in December if you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), not regular Social Security, because the January payment gets moved to late December (usually Dec 31) since January 1st (New Year's Day) is a federal holiday, resulting in a December 1st payment and a December 31st payment for January's benefits, with the later one often including the COLA increase.
See full 2025 payment schedule. SSI beneficiaries got two checks in the calendar month of August – one of which is the September payment – and will again in October and December, too. That's because the first date of the following month lands on a weekend or holiday.
The dollar amount increase to checks will vary depending on a person's benefit amount, but the average Social Security Retirement benefit, $2,008.31 in July 2025, will grow by about $56.
The extra $144 added to Social Security usually comes from the Medicare Part B Giveback benefit, offered by some Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans, which pays back some or all your Part B premium, showing up as extra money in your check if it's deducted from your Social Security. To qualify, you need Original Medicare (Parts A & B), pay your own Part B premium, live in a plan's service area, and enroll in a specific Medicare Advantage plan that offers this "rebate," with the amount varying by plan and location.
Primarily, people who started receiving Social Security benefits before May 1997, or those who receive both Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), get paid on the 3rd of the month, with the payment scheduled for the preceding business day if the 3rd falls on a weekend or holiday. Newer beneficiaries (after May 1997) have staggered payment dates based on their birthday, but the 3rd is also a common date for those in specific situations, like living abroad or receiving state-paid Medicare premiums.
Eligibility for the $1400 third stimulus check (Economic Impact Payment) was based on your 2019 or 2020 tax information, requiring you to be a U.S. citizen/resident with a valid Social Security Number (SSN), not a dependent, and within certain income limits (AGI up to $75k single, $150k married). The payment provided $1,400 for eligible individuals and an additional $1,400 for each qualifying dependent, including adult dependents, regardless of age, as long as they had a valid SSN or Adoption Taxpayer Identification Number (ATIN). If you missed it, you could claim it as a Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2021 tax return (filed in 2022).
The 2.8 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits payable to nearly 71 million Social Security beneficiaries in January 2026. Increased payments to nearly 7.5 million SSI recipients will begin on December 31, 2025.
As the pandemic continues, a third stimulus check has been approved by the IRS and distribution is underway. If you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, you will automatically qualify for the third stimulus check which will be in the amount $1400.
Most people will receive their one-time retroactive payment by the end of March, which will be deposited into their bank account on record with Social Security.
Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA):
For the January to March 2025 period, there won't be an increase, as the CPI showed a small dip over the last three months. But don't worry—over the past year, benefits have still grown by 2.0%, helping seniors keep pace with rising living costs.
Third day of each month. If you live in a foreign country, receive SSI, have your Medicare premiums paid for by your state or if you filed for benefits before 1997, your Social Security retirement benefit payment arrives on the third of each month (or the previous weekday if the third is a weekend or holiday).
Essential Requirements: How do I qualify for the $16728 Social Security bonus? To qualify for this bonus, you must meet specific criteria: Age Requirements: You must be between your full retirement age and 70 years old. Full retirement age varies by birth year – typically 66-67 for current retirees.
The official 2026 Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) is 2.8%, announced by the Social Security Administration (SSA) in October 2025, resulting in an average increase of about $56 monthly for retirees, though some forecasts had predicted slightly lower or higher figures based on inflation trends. This adjustment reflects the rise in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) from the third quarter of 2024 to the third quarter of 2025.
A few times a year, recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) receive two payments in a month. But those double deposits aren't extra money. They're early payments for the following month.
You likely received extra money in October 2025 due to a calendar scheduling quirk for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) (which got two payments: one Oct 1st for October's benefit and one Oct 31st for November's), or perhaps a retroactive payment from the Social Security Fairness Act for Windfall Elimination/Government Pension Offset (WEP/GPO) adjustments, as Social Security's main Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for 2026 started in January 2026, not October 2025, though the announcement was in October 2025.