Another round of Social Security payments for December is scheduled to go out this week.
Why It Matters
Around 70 million Americans receive monthly benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA), including retirees and people with disabilities. Because the program is so large, payments are issued in staggered groups each month rather than all on one date.
What to Know
For most beneficiaries, payment timing is tied to their birth date. Some people, however, follow a different schedule—specifically those who started receiving retirement, spousal, or survivor benefits before May 1997, and those who also receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI). SSI provides monthly support to seniors with limited income and to people who are blind or have disabilities.
On Wednesday, December 17, benefits will be paid to recipients whose birthdays fall between the 11th and 20th of any month.
If your payment doesn’t show up when expected, the SSA recommends waiting up to three business days before contacting the agency.
How Much Is Social Security?
Workers who claim benefits at the earliest eligible age of 62 can receive up to $2,831 per month. Those who wait until full retirement age—currently 67—can receive as much as $4,018. Delaying until age 70 raises the maximum monthly benefit to $5,108.
Reaching the maximum benefit requires meeting strict criteria. Generally, a person must have worked at least 35 years, with those years among their highest-earning, and they must wait until 70 to claim while consistently earning at or above the maximum taxable earnings limit.
For most recipients, benefit amounts are lower. Earlier this year, the average retirement benefit passed $2,000 for the first time. As of November, the average retired worker benefit was $2,013.32 per month.
COLA Increase Starting in January
Beginning in January, Social Security and disability beneficiaries are set to receive a 2.8 percent Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) to help benefits keep pace with rising expenses.
The SSA calculates COLA using the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), a key inflation measure. Since 1975, data from July through September has been used to determine whether benefits should rise to offset higher costs such as food, housing, and medical care.
The average monthly retirement benefit is expected to increase from about $2,015 to $2,071, according to the SSA. The maximum benefit for someone who claims at full retirement age (67) is set to rise from $4,018 to $4,152.
The 2026 COLA applies across SSA programs, including retirement, spousal, survivor, and SSI benefits, and takes effect with payments starting in January 2026.
