Social Security and SSI December 2025: The good news is coming to a few Americans who are on the Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) in December 2025. The New Year holiday schedule will see some beneficiaries receiving 3 payments in December an unusual but scheduled event. Furthermore, monthly payments will increase shortly because of a 2.8 percent cost-of-living increment in 2026.
Who gets 3 Social Security and SSI checks in December 2025? and how this works and why your benefits are impacted by the 2.8% 2026 COLA increase. This article describes in plain words who is eligible to receive the triple payment, why the timeline is going to change, and what this COLA will do to your monthly earnings in 2026.
Who Will Receive Three Payments in December of 2025?
Only beneficiaries who Get Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and It is also the recipient of Social Security retirement, disability, or survivor benefits, and Have their Social Security benefits set on the third Wednesday of December.
These people will be provided with SSI for December on December 1, 2025. On the third Wednesday of December, the social security benefit is received. January 2026 Early SSI on December 31, 2025. The first of January SSI payment is not an additional amount of money it is merely an administrative modification to prevent the late payments around the holiday.
SSI Payment Date December 2025
SSI payments are typically released on the 1st of each month. However, on the 1st which falls upon a weekend or federal holiday the payments are made at the end of the previous business day at an early time. With January 1, 2026 being a federal holiday, the January SSI payment would be transferred to December 31, 2025. That puts December in the category of a triple-payment month in the pockets of some recipients.
Social Security Benefits December 2025 Schedule
The majority of the Social Security benefits funds are received on Wednesdays according to your birthday:
- Birthdays 1-10: Pay before second Wednesday.
- Birthdays 11 20: Third Wednesday (those with three payments in December)
- Birthdays 21–31: Fourth Wednesday
Special schedules:
Beneficiaries of the social security who began prior to the month of May 1997 receive payments on the 3rd of every month. Recipients of SSI receive payments on 1st unless moved during holidays.
Social Security and SSI December 2025: 3 Payments
There are three deposits
- The payment at the end of December is January 2026.
- The payment of SSI will be 0 on January 1, 2026.
- The following SSI will be paid on February 1, 2026.
Such a schedule will make sure that no payment is missed even during holidays.
2026 COLA Increase Social Security
The Social Security Administration stated that the cost-of-living increase will be 2.8 percent in 2026 to be applied to Social Security and SSI benefits. Since the January SSI payment is received early on December 31, 2025, the recipients should check, The high amount of 2026 is shown in the payment of December 31. The last amount of 2025 is the December 1 payment. This is an increment that makes the beneficiaries abreast with inflation and escalating costs.
Some social security and SSI users will have three payments deposited into their accounts in December 2025 because of holiday timing. This, in combination with the 2.8% 2026 COLA rise, is one of the moments when you should check your benefits and prepare accordingly. You can look forward to receive your payments on the following dates should you qualify and make sure that your payment in early January is increased by the cost-of-living increase so you can better make your budget over the new year.