The first round of November Social Security payments will arrive a day early this week because of Veterans Day.
Recipients born between the 1st and 10th are scheduled to receive their benefits Tuesday, Nov. 10, instead of Wednesday.
Social Security benefits, paid primarily to older and retired Americans, are typically issued on Wednesdays. But the first round of November payments will arrive Tuesday, Nov. 10, because Veterans Day falls on Wednesday, Nov. 11.
November's payments come as Social Security recipients are set to get a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment next year. The increase is up from 2.8% in and is the largest since the 8.7% increase that took effect in 2023.
Annual COLAs are intended to help beneficiaries keep pace with inflation and
maintain their purchasing power, though many recipients say the increases have fallen short of rising expenses, according to AARP, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that advocates for Americans 50 and older.
Here’s what to know about November’s Social Security payments.
Who gets their Social Security payment first in November?
Beneficiaries born between the 1st and 10th of their birth month are set to receive their monthly Social Security benefit on Tuesday, Nov. 10, according to the SSA’s payment calendar.
The payment is being sent Tuesday rather than Wednesday because Veterans Day, a federal holiday, falls on Wednesday, Nov. 11.
When are Social Security payments sent?
Social Security benefits are typically paid on Wednesdays, with payment dates determined by a recipient's birthday.
Recipients born between the 1st and 10th of the month generally receive payments on the second Wednesday. Those born between the 11th and 20th are paid on the third Wednesday, while recipients born after the 20th receive payments on the fourth Wednesday, according to the SSA calendar.
People who began receiving Social Security benefits before May 1997 generally receive their payment on the third day of each month, unless that date falls on a weekend or federal holiday.
People who receive both Social Security and Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, generally receive their Social Security payment on the third day of the month and their SSI payment on the first day of the month.
Full 2026 Social Security payment calendar
SSI payment schedule for the rest of 2026
Recipients of Supplemental Security Income typically receive payments on the first day of the month. When that date falls on a weekend or federal holiday, payments are issued on the preceding business day.
Because Nov. 1 fell on a Sunday, the November SSI payment was issued Friday, Oct. 30.
Here are the remaining SSI payment dates for 2026, according to the SSA calendar:
- Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2026, for December 2026
- Thursday, Dec. 31, 2026, for January 2027
USA TODAY’s Mike Snider contributed to this report.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Social Security payments are coming early. Find out when and why
