Key Takeaways
- Birth dates set 2027 Social Security payments: 2nd, 3rd or 4th Wednesday for 1st-10th, 11th-20th, 21st-31st.
- Anyone who started before May 1997, or gets both benefits, is paid around the 3rd.
- SSI has no deposit dated in January, May or August 2027 because those payments come early.
- The 3.6% COLA reaches SSI on December 31, 2026 and birth-date groups in January 2027.
Your 2027 Social Security payment lands on the second, third or fourth Wednesday of the month, depending on your birthday. If you started benefits before May 1997, or you get both Social Security and SSI, you’re paid around the 3rd instead.
Every date for the year is below. I also cover the one stretch that catches people off guard: no SSI deposit dated in January, and a 32-day wait from December 31 to February 1.
2027 Social Security Payment Schedule by Birth Date
These dates apply to retirement, survivors and SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) benefits. No Wednesday payment moves for a holiday in 2027.
| Month | Born 1st-10th | Born 11th-20th | Born 21st-31st |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Jan 13 | Jan 20 | Jan 27 |
| February | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 |
| March | Mar 10 | Mar 17 | Mar 24 |
| April | Apr 14 | Apr 21 | Apr 28 |
| May | May 12 | May 19 | May 26 |
| June | Jun 9 | Jun 16 | Jun 23 |
| July | Jul 14 | Jul 21 | Jul 28 |
| August | Aug 11 | Aug 18 | Aug 25 |
| September | Sep 8 | Sep 15 | Sep 22 |
| October | Oct 13 | Oct 20 | Oct 27 |
| November | Nov 10 | Nov 17 | Nov 24 |
| December | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 22 |
Source: SSA’s 2027 payment calendar.
If you’re on a spouse’s or survivor’s benefit, the date generally follows the birthday of the worker whose record you’re paid on, not your own. It’s the mix-up I see most often in couples comparing deposit dates.
SSI and 3rd-of-Month Dates for 2027
This second group doesn’t use birthdays at all. The 3rd-of-month column covers people who started Social Security before May 1997, plus anyone who gets both Social Security and SSI.
| Payment for | SSI | 3rd-of-month group |
|---|---|---|
| January | Thu, Dec 31, 2026 | Thu, Dec 31, 2026 |
| February | Mon, Feb 1 | Wed, Feb 3 |
| March | Mon, Mar 1 | Wed, Mar 3 |
| April | Thu, Apr 1 | Fri, Apr 2 |
| May | Fri, Apr 30 | Mon, May 3 |
| June | Tue, Jun 1 | Thu, Jun 3 |
| July | Thu, Jul 1 | Fri, Jul 2 |
| August | Fri, Jul 30 | Tue, Aug 3 |
| September | Wed, Sep 1 | Fri, Sep 3 |
| October | Fri, Oct 1 | Fri, Oct 1 |
| November | Mon, Nov 1 | Wed, Nov 3 |
| December | Wed, Dec 1 | Fri, Dec 3 |
Bold dates moved earlier because the usual day falls on a weekend or federal holiday. SSA pays the business day before, never after.
SSI’s early payments mean no SSI deposit is dated in January, May or August 2027, and April, July and December each get two (January 2028’s SSI is paid December 30, 2027). For SSI amounts and rules, see my 2027 SSI payment guide.
The Long Wait After December 31
The gap is what to plan for, more than the date itself. SSI recipients go 32 days between the December 31 deposit and February 1, and the 3rd-of-month group goes 34 days, to February 3.
Those long months repeat in 2027:
- December 31 to February 1: 32 days
- April 30 to June 1: 32 days
- July 30 to September 1: 33 days
The way I’d think about it: the early deposit is next month’s money, not a bonus. If you pay rent on the 1st, it helps to set the December 31 deposit aside for January’s bills on the day it lands.
When the 3.6% COLA Shows Up
The 2027 cost-of-living adjustment is 3.6%, announced by SSA on October 14, 2026. SSA’s 2027 COLA fact sheet puts the amounts at:
| Benefit | Before | After 3.6% COLA |
|---|---|---|
| Average retired worker | $2,095 | $2,170 |
| Average disabled worker | $1,642 | $1,701 |
| SSI maximum, individual | $994 | $1,029 |
| SSI maximum, couple | $1,491 | $1,544 |
SSI sees it first, in the December 31, 2026 payment. Birth-date groups see it on their January Wednesday: the 13th, 20th or 27th.
The 3rd-of-month group’s January payment is also dated December 31. It’s the January payment arriving early, so it should carry the new amount, and your COLA notice will show the exact figure. My full 2027 COLA breakdown covers how the Medicare Part B premium affects what you actually keep.
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Three Readers, Three Different Calendars
Denise retired in 2020 and her birthday is the 14th. She’s in the third-Wednesday group, so her first raised check arrives January 20, 2027. Every month after that follows the middle column of the table.
Carl gets SSDI and his birthday is the 27th. He’s paid January 27, then February 24. SSI’s shifting dates don’t touch him at all, even though his benefit is a disability benefit.
Ruth gets both Social Security and SSI. Her December 2026 has four deposits: SSI on the 1st, Social Security on the 3rd, then both of January’s payments on December 31. Her next deposits are February 1 and February 3, so she has none dated in January.
How to Check Your Own Payment Status
The fastest way to confirm your exact payment date and amount is your my Social Security account at ssa.gov/myaccount. Once you’re logged in, your benefit verification letter and payment history show the actual dates SSA has on file for you, rather than relying on the general birth-date schedule above.
If you receive payments by direct deposit, funds are typically available the morning of your scheduled date, though some banks post a business day earlier or later depending on their own processing cutoffs.
Paper checks, which fewer than 1% of beneficiaries still use, add several days of mail transit on top of the mailing date and are being phased out entirely under SSA’s move to end paper checks.
If you switched banks recently or updated your direct deposit information, double-check that SSA has your current account on file. A payment sent to a closed account can take weeks to sort out and get reissued.
Where the 2027 Calendar Trips People Up
Mixing up SSDI and SSI. They sound alike but run on different schedules. SSDI follows the birth-date Wednesdays. SSI is paid on the 1st, or earlier when the 1st is a weekend or holiday.
Thinking January’s SSI payment is missing. It isn’t missing. It’s the December 31 deposit, and the same thing happens with May (paid April 30) and August (paid July 30).
Treating a two-deposit month as extra money. You still get 12 SSI payments for the year. Only the deposit dates move around.
Blaming the calendar for a smaller check. If you have a defaulted federal student loan, up to 15% of a regular Social Security check can be withheld through the Treasury Offset Program. My student loan garnishment guide covers the math and how to stop it. SSI isn’t subject to this offset.
Missing help you may already qualify for. If you’re on a fixed income and have Medicare, check whether you qualify for Extra Help with Part D drug costs. If you already get SSI, you may already be automatically enrolled.
Veterans and military retirees run on separate calendars with their own early deposits. See my VA disability payment dates and military pay dates if you get more than one federal check.
Remaining 2026 Payment Dates
| Group | November 2026 | December 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| SSI | Paid early, Oct 30 | Dec 1 |
| 3rd-of-month group | Nov 3 | Dec 3 |
| Born 1st-10th | Nov 10 | Dec 9 |
| Born 11th-20th | Nov 18 | Dec 16 |
| Born 21st-31st | Nov 25 | Dec 23 |
The 1st-10th group is paid a day early in November because the second Wednesday, November 11, is Veterans Day. SSI and the 3rd-of-month group also get a December 31 deposit, which is their January 2027 payment.
What to Expect for the 2028 Schedule
The first 2028 date is already set by the calendar: January 2028’s SSI payment comes December 30, 2027, because New Year’s Day 2028 is a Saturday, observed Friday, December 31.
SSA usually posts each year’s calendar well ahead of time, and the next COLA is due in October 2027. I’ll roll this page to 2028 each October once both are out, keeping the rest of the current year below it.
