The Social Security Administration (SSA) distributes monthly payments based on two variables: the seniority of the benefit and the birthdate of the holder. March is no exception to this scheme, although it presents a particularity related to the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) that affects the perception of the usual calendar.
The first deposit of the month was made on March 3, and it applies to those who received Social Security from before May 1997. This also applies to those who receive both retirement and SSI benefits. This group is not subject to the birthdate criterion; their payment is processed on the first available business Wednesday.
Social Security: When Your Deposit Hits Based on Your Birthday
For the rest of the retirees, the scheme follows the standard order: those born between the 1st and 10th of any month received their deposit on Wednesday, March 11. Those born between 11 and 20 received it on Wednesday 18, and those born between 21st and 31st had to wait until Wednesday, March 25.
The SSI program goes on under a different rule: payment is always credited on the first day of the month. When that date falls on a weekend or federal holiday, the SSA advances the deposit to the previous last business day.
Since March 1, 2026 is a Saturday, the payment for that month was processed on Friday, February 27. As a result, there will be no new SSI deposit during March. The next one corresponds to the month of April.
For those receiving SSI and also Social Security retirement or disability benefits, the March 3rd payment corresponds exclusively to the retirement or disability component. The SSI for that month had already been credited on February 27th, so the two programs operate on different dates, without overlap.
Social Security COLA 2026 Adds $56 a Month on Average
The cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) applied at the beginning of 2026 was 2.8%, which represents an increase of approximately $56 monthly for the average retiree. This percentage is lower than the 3.2% applied in 2025 and the 8.7% recorded in 2023, the highest in four decades.
With that correction incorporated, the average retirement benefit is located around $2,071 per month in 2026. This is an average figure that reflects very disparate work histories; those who accumulated more years of work with high salaries receive amounts significantly higher than that average.
The Peak Benefit Goes Over $5,000
The maximum benefit achievable under the retirement program amounts to $5,108 monthly. To reach that level, a worker must have achieved the taxable salary cap for at least 35 years and having postponed the start of collection until the age of 70, which is the point from which late payment credits stop accruing.
The SSI sets its own limits, independent of employment history. In 2026, the maximum monthly limit for an individual is $994, whereas for a eligible partner the amount increases to $1,491. These values apply in most states; some offer state supplements that increase the total amount received by the beneficiary.
The Social Security Wage Base
Meanwhile, the taxable salary base for Social Security tax rose to $184,500 in 2026, compared to $176,100 in 2025. Workers with incomes above that threshold do not pay the contribution on the excess, but they also do not accumulate it for the purposes of calculating future benefits.
The value of each work credit was also updated. In 2026, one credit is equivalent to $1,890 in income, with a limit of 4 credits per year. A worker who earns more than $7,560 annually accumulates the maximum number of credits possible for that period.
