The third and final wave of Social Security payments for May is scheduled to be distributed this week according to its normal schedule.
Social Security benefits — paid mostly to recipients who are elderly or retired — are typically scheduled to be paid on Wednesdays.
Social Security will face a shortfall by 2032. If Congress does nothing, the research shows, retirees would see a 28% cut in monthly benefits. This has led many groups to propose their own ways to fix the program.
Among them was a Washington think tank whose recent paper caused a stir by proposing limiting annual Social Security benefits to $100,000 in order to boost the retirement trust fund.
Who gets their Social Security payment this week?
According to the SSA’s payment calendar, beneficiaries who were born between the 21st and the last day of their birth month will receive their monthly Social Security benefit on Wednesday, May 27.
When are Social Security payments sent?
Social Security benefits – paid primarily to elderly or retired recipients – are usually paid on Wednesdays.
If a recipient’s date of birth is between the 1st and 10th of the month, they are issued a payment, usually on the second Wednesday of the payment month, according to the SSA’s calendar. Those born between the 11th and 20th are paid on the third Wednesday, and those born after the 20th are paid on the fourth Wednesday.
For those receiving Social Security before May 1997, you can expect your payment on the third day of the month, unless it falls on a weekend or holiday.
Individuals who receive both Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) can expect their Social Security payments on the third day of the month and their SSI payments on the first day of the month.
SSI Payment Schedule for the Rest of 2026
Recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) checks are typically issued payments on the first business day of the month in May, that is, Friday, May 1.
Here are the SSI payment dates for 2026, according to the SSA calendar:
- Monday, June 1, 2026 (check for June 2026)
- Wednesday, July 1, 2026 (check for July 2026)
- Friday, July 31, 2026 (check for August 2026)
- Tuesday, September 1, 2026 (check for September 2026)
- Thursday, October 1, 2026 (check for October 2026)
- Friday, October 30, 2026 (check for November 2026)
- Tuesday, December 1, 2026 (check for December 2026)
- Friday, December 31, 2026 (check for January 2027)
Contributing: Mike Snyder, USA TODAY