Social Security Payouts: On Wednesday, December 17, 2025, the Social Security Administration (SSA) is getting ready to mail out a sizable amount of benefits, which will be the fourth batch of payments in its December distribution schedule.
Millions of recipients of retirement, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), or survivor benefits are the target audience for this payment. The bulk of the almost 70.4 million Americans who get these benefits are covered by this payment system, which is controlled by a rigid schedule that designates distribution dates for the second, third, or fourth Wednesday of each month.,
Social Security Benefits of $5,108 Will Be Paid On December 17
On Wednesday, December 17, Social Security payments of up to $5,108 are scheduled to arrive. Retirees, SSDI recipients, and survivors born between the eleventh and twentieth of any given month receive the payouts. The maximum sum is set aside for employees who postponed receiving benefits until they turned 70. The average payment is still close to $2,000.
Social Security benefits vary greatly based on an individual’s income and employment history, Average benefit: The average retired worker receives a monthly deposit of $2,013.32, according to the most recent SSA data. The SSA now provides a maximum retirement payout of $5,108 per month.
On Wednesday, December 17, Who Gets Social Security Benefits?
The SSA distributes the majority of its payments to its almost 70.4 million beneficiaries on a set timetable. Every month on the second, third, or fourth Wednesday, payments are made. The worker’s date of birth determines the designated payment date, The distribution on Wednesday, December 17, which falls on the third Wednesday of the month, is intended to, Recipients who were born between the eleventh and twentieth of each month.
What is the timetable for Social Security payments?
This is the payout schedule based on the December birthday, Born between the first and the tenth of every month: Wednesday, December 10. Born between the eleventh and the twentieth of every month: Wednesday, December 17. Born on Wednesday, December 24, from the 21st to the 31st of each month
Benefits from Social Security Increase in January 2026
All Social Security recipients will get a 2.8 percent Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) starting in January 2026. Retirement, survivor, spousal, disability, and SSI payments are all affected by the rise.
Using inflation statistics from the increase from around $2,015 to $2,071 per month, the SSA determines COLAs.
At full retirement age, the maximum benefit will increase from $4,018 to $4,152. Beginning in January 2026, all increases will be reflected in payouts.
Essential conditions for receiving your deposit in December 2025
To guarantee the timely delivery of your December 17 payment:
Keep your SSA profile connected to a current bank account. Make sure your contact and mailing details are current. To learn about all upcoming dates, look into the SSA payment calendar for 2025–2026. Because New Year’s Day is a federal holiday, SSI beneficiaries should be aware that January 2026 SSI payments will be made early, on December 31, 2025.
COLA increase in January 2026
All beneficiaries’ January 2026 checks will reflect the 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment when December payments are completed. This adjustment helps counteract inflation going into the next year and is applicable to all parties, including survivors, retirees, and disability recipients.
Over 71 million Americans will get greater average monthly payments as a result of the 2.8% rise. While disability and survivor payments will increase at comparable proportionate levels based on each person’s determined amount, retirees will get an additional $56 per month.
The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) is linked to COLA. The third quarter of 2025 inflation trends are reflected in the 2026 increase. The purpose of these yearly adjustments is to guarantee that benefits maintain their purchasing power as daily expenses increase.
The entire 2.8% increase will also be given to SSI recipients. Since New Year’s Day is a federal holiday, their enhanced January benefit will be paid early on December 31, 2025. This guarantees that the first larger payment of the year won’t be delayed.
There are multiple different payment groups in the December schedule. December 1st is when Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is paid. December 3 is when beneficiaries who have received Social Security since before May 1997—or who get both Social Security and SSI—are paid. The SSA’s birth-date regulations apply to the remaining three Wednesday cycles.
December 2025 SSA Payout
SSI payments on December 1, 2025
December 3, 2025: SSI and SSA recipients or those who started receiving benefits prior to May 1997
Birthdays 1 through 10 on December 10, 2025
December 17, 2025: 11th through 20th birthdays
Birthdays from December 21 to December 31, 2025
All ordinary retirement, SSDI, and survivor benefits are subject to these dates. Paper checks can take several days to reach recipients, whereas direct deposits usually arrive early in the morning.