When to Expect Your First Social Security Check of 2026

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The first Social Security payments reflecting the 2.8% COLA will arrive in January for most retirees. When you receive your payment, with a few exceptions, is based on your date of birth. If your payment date falls on a federal holiday or weekend, you can expect to receive that month’s payment on the weekday immediately prior. Read the Social Security Payment Schedule for 2026 to find your payment dates through December 2026.

According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), the 2.8% increase will translate to an additional $56 for the average retiree, resulting in an average monthly check of $2,071, up from $2,015 in 2025. Married couples will see an average increase of $88, raising their monthly benefit to $3,208 from $3,120 in 2025.

The COLA has averaged about 2.6% over the past 20 years. It went as low as 0.0% in 2016 amid declining prices, and as high as 8.7% in 2023 when inflation spiked after COVID disruptions.

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When to expect your Social Security payment:
Payment date in January	Payment date in February	Date of birth
January 14	February 11	If you were born on the 1st through the 10th of the month, you’ll be paid on the second Wednesday of the month
January 21	February 18	If you were born on the 11th through the 20th of the month, you’ll be paid on the third Wednesday of the month
January 28	Feb 25	If you were born after the 20th of the month, you’ll be paid on the fourth Wednesday of the month

If you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments due to disability, age, or blindness you will receive those payments on the 1st of each month. Those receiving SSI benefits will be the first to get the COLA increase when their first January payment arrives on December 31, 2025 because January 1 is a federal holiday.

Your first increased payment will arrive on December 31, 2025 if:

You filed for benefits before May 1, 1997
You also receive a SSI payment
Your Medicare premiums are paid for by the state where you live
You live in a foreign country

You can use a my Social Security account to safely manage your personal Social Security information. If you are concerned about mail theft or travel often, you can opt out of mailed notices for those available online.

You can use your account to request a replacement Social Security card, check the status of an application, estimate future benefits, manage the benefits you already receive and receive updates about the COLA. This account can also be used to update your direct deposit information and get your Social Security 1099 form.

Donna joined Kiplinger as a personal finance writer in 2023. She spent more than a decade as the contributing editor of J.K.Lasser's Your Income Tax Guide and edited state specific legal treatises at ALM Media. She has shared her expertise as a guest on Bloomberg, CNN, Fox, NPR, CNBC and many other media outlets around the nation. She is a graduate of Brooklyn Law School and the University at Buffalo.