The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) continues to provide assistance to low-income beneficiaries and is administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA). Its primary function is to offer financial support to individuals with disabilities, low-income seniors, and children who meet specific income and asset requirements.
Monthly SSI payments are intended to help cover essential expenses such as housing, food, and medical care. The distribution of these funds follows a set payment schedule, which is subject to changes when payment dates fall on holidays or weekends. These changes, although provided for in the regulations, often cause confusion among beneficiaries.
SSI payments are made once a month
Payments are traditionally issued on the first day of each month. However, SSA regulations stipulate that if the 1st falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or a recognized federal holiday, the transaction is processed on the preceding business day. This procedure aims to ensure that funds are available to recipients before the start of the corresponding month, preventing delays due to banking inactivity.
Friday, October 31, 2025, was the date on which SSI beneficiaries received their November payment. Because Saturday, November 1, is not a business day for financial institutions, the Social Security Administration processed the payment one day early.
Consequently, no further deposits were scheduled or made during November. This is a routine administrative practice and does not indicate any issues with individual benefits.
SSA Calendar: Adjustment for end-of-year holidays
December 2025 brings a double payment situation for SSI recipients. This arises from the combination of a regular payment and an advance payment, due to the year-end calendar.
The first disbursement is scheduled for Monday, December 1st, corresponding to the benefit for the current month. As this is a standard business day, the payment will be made on its usual date without any adjustments. This deposit ensures the program’s continued operation.
A second payment will be issued on Wednesday, December 31, 2025. This transaction represents an advance on the benefit corresponding to January 2026. The reason for this adjustment is that Thursday, January 1, 2026, is a federal holiday for New Year’s Day. After this disbursement, the next scheduled payment will be for February 2026.
Maximum SSI payments and COLA increase in 2026
The amounts of these payments reflect the annual cost-of-living adjustment, known as COLA. The payment distributed on December 1, 2025, uses the maximum federal values in effect for that year.
For an eligible individual without other considerations, the base amount was $967. For an individual with an eligible spouse, the amount was set at $1,450. For an essential person, the payment was $484.
Conversely, the advance payment due on December 31st incorporates the 2026 COLA increase, which was announced in October 2025. This adjustment, calculated at 2.8 percent, increases the base payments starting in January.
Thanks to this adjustment, the advance payment received in December is higher. The new amount for an eligible individual is set at $994. For an individual with an eligible spouse, the amount is $1,491. The allowance for an essential person is adjusted to $497.