Social Security benefits are being issued today, Wednesday, December 10, to millions across the United States, marking the third payment run of December under the SSA’s distribution schedule.
Who receives a payment today, December 10?
Today’s payments go to certain recipients of retirement benefits, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), or survivor benefits. Of the nearly 70.3 million Americans who rely on retirement, SSDI, or survivor benefits, most receive their funds on the second, third, or fourth Wednesday of each month. The specific Wednesday a beneficiary receives payments is determined by the worker’s date of birth and when their Social Security taxes have built up entitlement.
Today's payments cover birthdays from the 1st through the 10th of each month. The two upcoming Wednesdays, December 17 and December 24, will cover those born on the 11th through the 31st.
Summary of December payment dates for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Wednesdays:
- Born 1st–10th: Wednesday, December 10
- Born 11th–20th: Wednesday, December 17
- Born 21st–31st: Wednesday, December 24
Who does not receive benefits on the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th Wednesdays in December?
- Some long-term Social Security recipients: If you began claiming retirement, SSDI, or survivor benefits before May 1997, your check typically goes out on the third day of each month, regardless of birth date, so these beneficiaries were scheduled to be paid on Wednesday, December 3.
- SSI beneficiaries: Approximately 7.4 million people receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), a separate SSA program for low-income individuals who are 65 or older or have a disability. SSI payments are normally issued on the first day of each month, so December’s SSI payments were due on Monday, December 1.
- Dual beneficiaries (SSI plus regular Social Security): About 2.5 million people receive both SSI and a SSA retirement, SSDI, or survivor benefit. These recipients were scheduled to receive SSI on December 1 and their SSA benefit on December 3.
A quick look at other December payment dates not tied to birthdays:
- SSI recipients: Monday, December 1
- Pre-May 1997 Social Security beneficiaries: Wednesday, December 3
- Dual recipients: SSI on December 1; SSA on December 3
For a complete view of the SSA’s 2025 benefits-distribution schedule, you can consult the SSA’s online calendar. The agency has also published its 2026 schedule.
Benefit amounts: what beneficiaries typically receive
- Retirement beneficiaries: the average monthly payment is about $2,012.30, based on SSA data.
- SSDI beneficiaries: average about $1,588.44 per month.
- Survivor benefits: average about $1,575.89 per month.
- SSI recipients: average around $717.51 per month.
COLA increase for 2026
In October, the SSA announced a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2026. For retirement beneficiaries, this translates to an average monthly increase of about $56. Notably, the first beneficiaries to receive the new higher payments will be SSI recipients, with their January payments issued on December 31, due to New Year’s Day falling on a federal holiday.
How Social Security disburses payments
The SSA reports that, in most cases, paper checks are no longer used. Beneficiaries generally receive funds electronically through one of two methods:
- Direct deposit: After providing bank details, recipients can receive payments directly into their bank account via the SSA’s online My Social Security portal.
- Direct Express Debit Card: For those without a bank account, benefits can be loaded onto a Direct Express Card.
If you’d like to explore the full distribution schedule for 2025 or 2026, the SSA provides downloadable calendars with all dates.
Would you prefer this information presented with a quick, user-friendly calendar summary for easy reference, or is the detailed explanation above what you’re looking for?
