For some Social Security beneficiaries, November is a month with a difference: here’s why
In November, millions of Americans won’t get a check from the U.S.’s Social Security Administration. But they won’t go without their benefits.
Some of the United States’ nearly 75 million Social Security beneficiaries won’t be receiving a payment at any point in November. However, that doesn’t mean they won’t be getting their money for the month.
Because of the way the Social Security Administration (SSA) organizes its payment schedule, recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are due to get their November benefits in October: on Friday 31, to be precise.
Why are November’s SSI payments arriving early?
SSI checks are distributed on the opening day of each month - unless this coincides with a weekend or a federal holiday. As next month kicks off on a Saturday, November’s SSI payment date has been brought forward to the nearest working day.
What is SSI and who receives it?
A program with just under 7.5 million beneficiaries, SSI is aimed at people who have little to no income or resources, and are over 65 or have a disability.
Unlike regular Social Security programs such as retirement benefits, survivor pay and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), eligibility for SSI does not depend on prior payment of Social Security taxes. It is a needs-based, rather than contribution-based, benefit.
How much money do SSI recipients get each month?
Per the most recent figures published by the SSA, SSI beneficiaries receive an average of $717.87 a month. The highest maximum monthly amount available to an individual claimant in 2025 is $967.
Some SSI beneficiaries are eligible for a supplementary payment from their state. Find out which states offer this extra money on the SSA website.
How is the government shutdown affecting SSI payments?
According to a contingency plan published by the SSA in late September, nearly 6,200 of its workers were due to be furloughed during the U.S. government shutdown, which began on October 1. However, the agency says this won’t have any impact on its distribution of benefits.
In a statement issued on the first day of the shutdown, the SSA said it will continue to issue beneficiaries’ monthly checks "with no change in payment dates”.
When will December’s SSI payment be made? When is the COLA rise?
December begins on a week day, so the SSA will revert to its typical SSI payment timeline in the final month of 2025. Beneficiaries of the program can expect to receive their SSI check for December on Monday 1.
And, for the same reason that November’s payment is to go out in October, SSI recipients are also due to get 2026’s opening check in December. As New Year’s Day is a federal holiday in the U.S., January’s SSI money is scheduled to be paid on Wednesday, December 31.
January’s SSI will feature a pay rise: as part of its annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), the SSA announced last week that its benefits will increase by 2.8% in 2026.
At a glance - upcoming SSI payment dates:
- November 2025: Friday, October 31
- December 2025: Monday, December 1
- January 2026: Wednesday, December 31
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