The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients will receive two payments in October 2025 because of the way the calendar falls this year. Normally, SSI payments are paid on the 1st of each month, but if that date falls on a weekend or holiday, the Social Security Administration (SSA) moves the payment to the previous business day.
In this case, November 1, 2025, falls on a Saturday, so the November payment will be paid on Friday, October 31. This means recipients will get the regular October payment on October 1 and the November payment on October 31, so they will get two deposits in the same month.
Other months with double SSI payments in 2025
In fact, after October, there will be another month in 2025 with two SSI payments, but the focus now is on this double payment, which will give some temporary relief to those who need it. It is important to remember that these payments do not mean an increase in benefits, but just a change in the schedule so the payments stay monthly and regular.
That month is December, that will bring the regular payment of the first day of the month, and the January 2026 advanced payment, since the 1st is the New Year celebration, and it’s a federal holiday.
Maximum SSI amounts valid until December
The federal maximum SSI amounts in 2025 are $967 for an eligible person, $1,450 for a person with an eligible spouse, and $484 for an essential person, an extra amount if an essential person lives with the person getting the benefit and helps with the house.
These amounts can be different depending on state income, resources, and other things, but they are the federal maximum adjusted for the 2.5% COLA, or cost of living adjustment, that was put into place in January 2025.
Projected Social Security COLA for 2026
The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) expects a 2.7% COLA for Social Security benefits in 2026, which would be a little higher than the increase applied in 2025.
This forecast is based on consumer price index known as CPI-W, from July, August, and September 2025 and has stayed steady in TSCL s recent updates. Other groups and experts, such as retired Social Security expert Mary Johnson, agree around this range, but some early CPI W data from August suggest a possible 2.8%, according to AARP.
These forecasts show a small but good increase, which will help make up for the lost inflation, but the TSCL warns that it may not be enough to pay for the real rise in costs of living for retirees. The 2026 COLA would be paid starting in January 2026 and would help more than 70 million Social Security and SSI recipients.
Is the COLA delayed?
The official COLA increase for 2026 would normally be announced by the SSA on October 15, 2025, after looking at the September CPI W data.
But because of the federal government shutdown that is going on, the announcement could be delayed past that date, and that would mean the beneficiaries would not be told in time. If the shutdown continues, the SSA will focus on current payments, but the delay in the COLA could be even longer until the money situation is solved.
