A new round of Social Security payments for December will be sent out later this week, just in time for Christmas.
Why It Matters
The Social Security Administration (SSA) provides monthly income to about 70 million Americans, including retirees and people with disabilities. To manage payments for such a large number of recipients, the agency issues benefits in stages each month rather than distributing them all at once.
What To Know
Most beneficiaries receive their payments based on their birth date, though certain groups follow a separate schedule. This includes people who began collecting retirement, spousal, or survivor benefits before May 1997, as well as those who also receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI). SSI is a needs-based program that offers monthly assistance to low-income seniors and to individuals who are blind or have disabilities.
On Wednesday, December 24—Christmas Eve—payments will be issued to beneficiaries with birthdays falling between the 21st and 31st of any month.
If you haven’t received your payment by the expected date, you should allow up to three working days before contacting the SSA.
How Much Is Social Security?
The upcoming payment marks one of the final ones of 2025, and in 2026, beneficiaries can look forward to a 2.8 percent boost in their benefits through the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). For the average retiree, the boost is expected to translate into roughly $56 more per month in Social Security payments.
The SSA determines the annual COLA using the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), a measure of inflation based on the spending patterns of younger, urban workers rather than retirees. Since 1975, COLAs have been calculated each year using CPI-W data from the third quarter—July through September—to help ensure benefits keep pace with rising everyday expenses, including housing, food, and medical care.
For all retired workers, the average monthly benefit is projected to increase from $2,015 before the COLA to $2,071 after the adjustment. Aged couples in which both spouses receive benefits are expected to see their combined monthly payments rise from $3,120 to $3,208. Meanwhile, all disabled workers are expected to receive an average of $1,630 per month, up from $1,586 before the COLA.
In 2026, the highest possible monthly Social Security payment will increase from $5,108 to $5,251, amounting to nearly $2,000 more annually for recipients who qualify for the maximum.
The COLA applies across all SSA programs—including retirement, spousal, survivor, and SSI—with increased payments set to take effect in January 2026.
Read the full article here
