In October, millions of Americans receiving Social Security benefits will get their monthly payment, but the date depends on several factors. The Social Security Administration (SSA) distributes payments to more than 70 million recipients, including those receiving retirement, spousal, survivor, or disability benefits.
Payment schedules vary based on the type of benefit, how long you’ve been receiving it, and often your birthday. For instance, Social Security retirement payments average $2,031.74, while Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments average $736.54 as of July.
October 2026 Payments
Social Security payments in October will follow these dates:
- October 1: SSI benefit payments.
- October 2: Payments for retired workers, spouses, and survivors who started receiving benefits before May 1997, or those receiving both Social Security and SSI.
- October 14: Payments for birthdays from the 1st to 10th of any month.
- October 21: Payments for birthdays from the 11th to 20th of any month.
- October 28: Payments for birthdays from the 21st to 31st of any month.
SSI Double Payment
SSI benefits are given to individuals aged 65 or older with low or no income, or those under 65 with disabilities. This October, SSI recipients will get an unusual second payment. Typically, SSI payments occur on the first of the month, but the November payment will be distributed early on October 30 due to November 1 falling on a Sunday.
“We do this to avoid putting you at a financial disadvantage and make sure that you don’t have to wait beyond the first of the month to get your payment,” the SSA stated in a 2022 blog post.
This adjustment avoids recipients thinking they’ve received a duplicate payment.
COLA Adjustment
Recipients will also learn about their 2027 annual benefit boost on October 14. To counteract inflation, the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) applies to retirement, survivor, disability payments, and SSI. In 2026, the COLA was 2.8 percent.
The COLA is determined using the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The SSA compares average CPI-W data from July, August, and September with the previous year, rounding the percentage increase to the nearest tenth. Current forecasts project a COLA increase between 3.4 and 3.6 percent for 2027. The Senior Citizens League estimates a 3.5 percent increase. AARP predicts a 3.6 percent increase, which could increase benefits by approximately $75 monthly.
The final COLA figure depends on September’s inflation data. The official announcement will be made on October 14, 2026, after BLS releases September inflation data. The new COLA will affect payments beginning January 2027.
For further inquiries on this article, contact Newsweek editors Ben Kelly and Emma Lee-Sang.