As every month, the Social Security Administration (SSA) publishes a payment schedule so that retirees and beneficiaries of the SSI and SSDI social programs are aware of the dates on which the checks will be distributed.

Every year, Social Security makes a Cost of Living adjustment (COLA) and for 2026, it was set at 2.8%. This generates an increase of approximately $56 in payments, which aim to keep pace with high inflation. During the first week of January, the first beneficiaries will be retirees who applied for their retirement before May 1997. The checks will then be distributed during the month in three rounds, depending on each retiree's date of birth. That is, retirees born between the 1st and 10th of any month will begin receiving their payments on Wednesday, January 14th. The amounts for these beneficiaries will depend on their age at retirement. Seniors who applied for retirement at age 62 receive $2,000, those at age 65 receive $3,000, and those who waited until age 70 receive $5,000. The next to receive their benefits will be retirees born between the 11th and 20th of any month, on Wednesday, January 21st, and those born between the 21st and 31st of any month, on Wednesday, January 28th, 2026.