Those familiar Social Security checks will keep coming all through October 2025. Millions of people across the country will see their scheduled payments arrive as usual. The payments are spread out in a long-standing pattern.
Payments come out on Wednesdays based on people s birthday. Those born between the 1st and the 10th of any month will get their deposit on October 8. People with birthdays between the 11th and the 20th will get paid October 15. Those born from the 21st to the 31st will get their checks on October 22.
A change to the Social Security calendar
A small group of people who get those checks will get their money early. That group includes those who also get Supplemental Security Income SSI or those who lived outside the U.S., a deposit will come on October 3.
A unique part of the October calendar involves the SSI program. All SSI beneficiaries will get their regular check on Wednesday, October 1. But they will get another deposit on the last day of the month, October 31.
This isn’t a bonus. It is just an early deposit of the November SSI check. It is a normal move that happens if the first of the month falls on a weekend. It means those people will have two checks in October. Then they won’t get another one until December 1.
Remember, always remember! The double deposit in October doesn’t mean you get extra money. There will be just 12 checks every year, one for each month. As all of these October checks land in bank accounts, many people are already looking ahead to next year.
Social Security COLA: a smaller bump for benefits in 2026
This is a yearly move based on inflation data from the third quarter. While the final number is not yet official, current estimates from independent experts give a look at what retirees can expect. The most prominent estimate right now calls for a 2.8% increase for 2026. This projected 2.8 COLA, if it holds, would mark a sharp change in recent years.
Checks of the historical data show a COLA this size would mark an important milestone. It would mark the fifth year in a row that the move has been at or above 2.5%. That would be a long run of raises at this level. It would not be seen since the string that ended in 1997. It is a sign of the long run of high inflation that has been part of the early 2020s economy.
How much SSA payments could increase
The bottom line impact of a 2.8% COLA would be a set dollar amount for the average retiree. The average monthly retirement check was $2,008.31 as of August 2025. Using the projected move would raise that amount by around 56.23 each month.
The new average check each month would be around $2,064.54. Over a whole year, that change would add about $674.76 to a recipient’s income.
This projected increase is not final. The SSA will crunch the numbers from July, August, and September to find the final COLA. Any change to the check amount will first show up in checks sent out in January 2026. For retirees on a set income, even a small bump can help with rising costs for basics like food, water, and rent.
The final number, which tens of millions are waiting for, will set their financial starting point for the year ahead.
