December 2026 Social Security Payment Schedule & Benefit Dates
SSI posts Tuesday, December 1; pre-1997 Thursday, December 3. Birthday cohorts are December 9, 16, and 23. Christmas Day (Fri Dec 25) and the New Year holiday affect January 2027 SSI more than December’s Wednesday deposits.
All 5 cohorts land on their regular scheduled dates this month
December 2026 — Christmas week stays on the Wednesday schedule
- Christmas Day Fri Dec 25 — after the Dec 23 (4th Wednesday) payment
- No December 2026 holiday shift for SSI or Wednesday cohorts
- January 2027 SSI may post in late December — check the January schedule
SSI
Supplemental Security Income
December 01, 2026
1st of the month (or prior business day)
Pre-1997 / Dual eligibility
Claims before May 1997 or concurrent SSI
December 03, 2026
3rd of the month (or prior business day)
Birthdays 1–10
Post–May 1997 Title II
December 09, 2026
2nd Wednesday (holiday → prior business day)
Birthdays 11–20
Post–May 1997 Title II
December 16, 2026
3rd Wednesday (holiday → prior business day)
Birthdays 21–31
Post–May 1997 Title II
December 23, 2026
4th Wednesday (holiday → prior business day)
December 2026 schedule FAQs
Will Christmas move my December Social Security payment?
Not for December 2026 Wednesday cohorts — the last one is December 23, before Christmas Day.
Should I also check January 2027?
Yes. When January 1 is a holiday, January SSI often posts on the last business day of December. Use the January schedule page for that date.
Adjacent months & tools
Compare December 2026 with neighboring months, the full-year calendar, or estimate your net deposit after Medicare and tax withholding.
Official Primary Data Sources
Verified against federal statutes, agency publication manuals, and Federal Reserve rules.
Official annual disbursement schedule detailing 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Wednesday delivery dates.
Federal statutory regulation governing staggered Wednesday payments based on beneficiary birth dates.
Standard banking holidays (Title 5 U.S.C. 6103) governing prior-business-day deposit shifts.
Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners used for statutory COLA calculations under 42 U.S.C. § 415.