The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a federal help program that gives monthly money to adults and children with a disability, as well as to people 65 and older who meet limited income requirements. The Social Security Administration (SSA) runs the program and sets a strict schedule for payments.
SSI payments are always made on the first day of each month. This schedule is the same no matter what day of the week the person’s birthday falls on, unlike other SSA programs. When the first day of the month is a holiday or falls on a weekend, SSA rules say payments are made the day before.
SSI payment schedule for the final months of 2025
This is to make sure that money is there for the person to use at the start of the month. Keep in mind that each check is for the month before. For example, the check for September arrived on August 29, since September 1 was Labor Day, a federal holiday.
For October 2025, SSI payments are due on Wednesday, October 1. That is a normal weekday, so, no changes are to be made from the usual schedule.
The money will be put in a person’s account or sent in the mail on that day. It is to be used for the month of September. November 2025 is a bit different. November 1 falls on a Saturday. So, following rules, the check will be paid on Friday, October 31.
People should be aware of this change so they can plan their money and they get their November money a day early. December 2025 is the same as any other. The check is to be paid on Monday, December 1, another weekday and no problems.
The check for January 2026 is to be paid on Wednesday, January 1. It is a holiday, New Year’s Day, but the SSA says it will be paid on that day, another weekday for the agency.
Maximum amounts of SSI (valid through December)
The federal maximum amounts for SSI are changed each year by a cost-of-living increase (COLA). An increase of 2.5% was made for 2025. The new maximum federal amounts are now $967 a month for a person in this program. If a person is married, the federal maximum for a couple in this program is currenty $1,450 a month. These amounts are not the amounts any person will get.
The amount a person gets is based on a person’s income and ability to get money, where they live, and the money in the person’s house (if any). These things can make the amount for a person very small.
There are times when the SSA pays less than the maximum amount. If a person lives in someone else’s house and gets free food or board, the SSA can change the person’s check. This is called the Room and Board Value (R&M).
The change can be as much as $342.33. Also, some states add money to the federal amount. This is called State Supplements (SSPs).
Switch to electronic payment NOW
The SSA has a new rule to phase out paper checks for all of their payments. This is part of a bigger plan by the government to change how federal money is paid.
The goal is to stop fraud, cut costs, and get money to people faster. At first, the SSA said that paper checks would end on September 30, 2025. It would affect less than 1% of people who still get paper checks. But after hearing from many groups, the SSA changed its mind. On July 24, 2025, the agency said the rule would change.
The new rule says the SSA will keep sending paper checks only to those people who have no other option. Most people will get their money electronically. People can do this with their safe account on the my Social Security website. They can get the money paid directly into their bank account or get a Direct Express card.
