Another round of Social Security payments for December is set to be issued this week.
Why It Matters
Roughly 70 million Americans rely on monthly payments from the Social Security Administration (SSA), including retirees and people with disabilities. Because of the size of the program, benefits are distributed in staggered waves each month rather than all being paid on a single day.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) provides monthly payments to people with disabilities and older adults who have little or no income and resources. Learn more: https://t.co/NzkJs25PAw pic.twitter.com/yurwBFXwu6
— Social Security (@SocialSecurity) December 13, 2025
What To Know
For most recipients, payment dates are determined by their date of birth. However, some beneficiaries follow a different schedule. People who began receiving retirement, spousal, or survivor benefits before May 1997, as well as those who also receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), are paid on separate dates. SSI provides monthly assistance to seniors with limited income and to individuals 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 does not arrive on the expected date, the SSA advises allowing up to three business days before reaching out to 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 benefits until age 70 increases the maximum monthly payment to $5,108.
However, qualifying for the top-level benefit means meeting strict conditions. A person must have worked at least 35 years, with each of those years ranking among their highest-earning. They must also delay claiming benefits until age 70 and consistently hit the maximum taxable earnings limit throughout their career.
For most, 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.
And this is set to increase: beginning in January, all Social Security and disability beneficiaries will receive a 2.8 percent Cost-of-Living Adjustment. This boost aims to help payments keep pace with rising living expenses.
The SSA bases this calculation on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, a measure of inflation. Since 1975, data from July through September has been used to determine whether benefits should be increased to help offset rising costs such as food, housing, and medical care.
The average monthly retirement benefit will rise from around $2,015 to $2,071, the SSA has confirmed. The maximum benefit for someone who claims at full retirement age—currently 67—will increase from $4,018 to $4,152.
The 2026 COLA will apply to all SSA programs, including retirement, spousal, survivor, and SSI benefits. Any increase will take effect with payments beginning in January 2026.
