Yes, SSI recipients will receive their increased January 2026 checks on December 31, 2025. Because January 1, 2026, is a federal holiday, the Social Security Administration (SSA) moves the payment to the preceding business day. This check will include a 2.8% Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA).
The second payment will be made within December because the usual deposit date — the first of the month — lands on a holiday - New Year's Day. This happens annually due to the holiday and is standard SSA policy: when the first falls on a weekend or federal holiday, SSI payments are made on the preceding business day.
Yes, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) received a Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for 2025, increasing the federal benefit rate to $967 for individuals and $1,450 for couples starting January 1, 2025, with payments actually arriving in late December 2024. More significantly, a 2.8% COLA was announced for 2026, meaning SSI payments will increase again, with the first boosted payments for January 2026 arriving on December 31, 2025, raising the individual maximum to $994 and couples to $1,491.
The Social Security Administration announced Supplemental Security Income recipients will receive two checks in December on Dec. 1 and Dec. 31, in addition to their regular Social Security benefit check.
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.
This increase is in line with previous projections for next year and long-term averages for the adjustment. 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.
Latest COLA
Social Security benefits will increase by 2.8 percent beginning with the December 2025 benefits, which are payable in January 2026. Federal SSI payment levels will also increase by 2.8 percent effective for payments made for January 2026.
SSI recipients get two payments in December
In this case, it's an adjustment for a holiday falling on New Year's Day. All other Social Security payments will go out on the regular dates in January. According to the schedule of Social Security benefit payments, December is the last month each year with a double payment.
If you're on SSDI, you've likely received past stimulus checks automatically. Right now, there's no new stimulus in 2025, but history shows that SSDI beneficiaries have been included in relief programs. If another round is ever approved, you can expect to qualify as long as you meet income rules.
Beneficiaries who get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) will get two checks in the month of May. The first check, due on May 1, is the benefit for the month of May 2025. A second check is due on May 30, the benefit check for the month of June.
Yes, the report that some Social Security recipients could receive two checks in December and in certain months throughout 2026 is true, but it applies specifically to recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
The $4,983 Direct Deposit for U.S. citizens in November 2025 is more than just another relief payment — it's a message of support from the federal government to millions of struggling families, retirees, and workers.
Dec. 10 - Retirement, spousal, and survivor benefits will be paid to those born between the first and 10th of any month. Dec. 17 - Benefits will be paid to those with birthdays between the 11th and 20th of any month.
Nearly 71 million Social Security beneficiaries will see a 2.8 percent COLA beginning in January 2026. Increased payments to nearly 7.5 million people receiving SSI will begin on December 31, 2025.
January SSI payments are scheduled to go out on Wednesday, Dec. 31, according to the Social Security Administration's calendar. SSI payments are typically issued on the first day of the month, but payments go out early when the first of the month lands on a weekend or a holiday, as it does in January (Jan.
Golden State Grant (GSG) and SSI/SSP Recipients
Recent California legislation authorized a one-time supplemental SSP payment in the amount of $600 to SSI/SSP recipients to provide relief from hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Payments in the amount of $600 were automatically mailed out in 2021.
Yes, Social Security recipients received a Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for 2025, but the bigger news is that they are getting a larger 2.8% COLA for 2026, announced in October 2025, which began with January 2026 payments, increasing average benefits by about $56 per month. The 2025 COLA was a smaller 2.5% increase, while the 2026 adjustment reflects moderating inflation, leading to higher payments starting in the new year.
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.
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.
The second payment will be made within December because the usual deposit date — the first of the month — lands on a holiday - New Year's Day. This happens annually due to the holiday and is standard SSA policy: when the first falls on a weekend or federal holiday, SSI payments are made on the preceding business day.
2025 Updates and New IRS Features
Additionally, while previous tax refunds sometimes included stimulus payments related to pandemic relief, these payments have been phased out in 2025. Therefore, if you see a deposit labeled “IRS Treas 310” today, it is almost certainly solely from your tax refund.
The first Social Security and Supplemental Security Income checks for 2026 will include a 2.8% boost for about 75 million Americans, thanks to a cost-of-living adjustment. But higher Medicare premiums will offset that COLA for some Social Security beneficiaries.