The quick answer: in 2027, Social Security retirement, survivor and disability benefits are paid on a Wednesday chosen by your birthday. Born on the 1st–10th of the month? You are paid on the second Wednesday. Born on the 11th–20th? The third Wednesday. Born on the 21st–31st? The fourth Wednesday. That one rule gives you every payday of the year — the full table is below. To see how much those checks will be after the 3.6% raise, use our 2027 COLA Calculator.
Find your own exact payment date
Don't scan the whole table — our free Social Security Payment Date Calculator takes your benefit type and birth day and shows your next payment date with a live countdown, plus your personal full-year list for 2026 and 2027, holiday shifts included.
The full 2027 payment schedule (Wednesday groups)
| Month (2027) | Born 1st–10th | Born 11th–20th | Born 21st–31st |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Jan 13 | Jan 20 | Jan 27 |
| February | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 |
| March | Mar 10 | Mar 17 | Mar 24 |
| April | Apr 14 | Apr 21 | Apr 28 |
| May | May 12 | May 19 | May 26 |
| June | Jun 9 | Jun 16 | Jun 23 |
| July | Jul 14 | Jul 21 | Jul 28 |
| August | Aug 11 | Aug 18 | Aug 25 |
| September | Sep 8 | Sep 15 | Sep 22 |
| October | Oct 13 | Oct 20 | Oct 27 |
| November | Nov 10 | Nov 17 | Nov 24 |
| December | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 22 |
One less thing to worry about in 2027: no Wednesday payday falls on a federal holiday, so none of these dates shift. What you see is exactly what lands in your account.
The first checks with the 2027 raise
The 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment announced on October 14, 2026 is built into payments from January 2027 onward. Because of the calendar, the very first raised payments actually arrive in 2026: SSI recipients and the 3rd-of-the-month group are paid on Thursday, December 31, 2026 (January 1 is a holiday). The Wednesday groups follow on January 13, 20 and 27, 2027. Our companion guide, How Much Will My Social Security Check Be in 2027?, works out the new amounts — the average retired worker’s check rises from $2,095 to about $2,170.
Paid on the 3rd instead? The other group
Two groups do not follow the Wednesday pattern. If you started receiving Social Security before May 1997, or you receive both Social Security and SSI, your Social Security payment is scheduled for the 3rd of each month. When the 3rd falls on a weekend or federal holiday, the payment moves earlier, to the preceding business day — you never wait longer because of a holiday. In 2027 that is why this group’s January payment arrives on December 31, 2026 (the 3rd is a Sunday), and the April payment on April 2 (the 3rd is a Saturday).
SSI payment dates in 2027
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is normally paid on the 1st of the month, moved earlier when the 1st is a weekend or holiday. That shifting produces the two quirks everyone asks about:
- Two SSI payments in one month: April 2027 (April 1 and April 30 — the second one is May’s payment, paid early because May 1 is a Saturday) and July 2027 (July 1 and July 30, because August 1 is a Sunday).
- No SSI payment in January 2027 itself: the January payment arrives early, on December 31, 2026. A “double December” is not a bonus — it is January’s money landing a day early, and December 2027 ends the same way, with January 2028’s payment arriving before the New Year.
Whose birthday counts for spouses and survivors?
Your payment day follows the birthday of the person whose work record the benefit is based on. Spousal and survivor benefits are paid on the worker’s birthday group, not your own. If you receive benefits on your own record and a spouse’s record, the SSA pays both on the same schedule — the one attached to the record your combined payment is issued under.
If your payment does not arrive
The SSA asks beneficiaries to allow three extra mailing days before reporting a missing paper check; direct deposits that do not appear on the scheduled date should first be checked with your bank, then reported to the SSA at 1-800-772-1213. And remember: the COLA changes the amount of your check, never the date — this schedule stays fixed all year.
Next step: put a number on the raise with the Social Security COLA Calculator 2027 — it shows your new check before and after the Medicare Part B premium.
Frequently asked questions
When is the first Social Security payment of 2027?
SSI recipients and the 3rd-of-the-month group are paid first, on Thursday, December 31, 2026, because January 1 is a holiday. The Wednesday birthday groups are paid on January 13, 20 and 27, 2027.
What day of the month is Social Security paid?
It depends on your birthday: the 1st–10th are paid on the second Wednesday, the 11th–20th on the third Wednesday, and the 21st–31st on the fourth Wednesday. People who claimed before May 1997, or who get both Social Security and SSI, are paid on the 3rd.
Which months have two SSI payments in 2027?
April 2027 (April 1 and April 30) and July 2027 (July 1 and July 30). The second payment in each case is the next month’s benefit paid early because the 1st falls on a weekend. There is no SSI payment date inside January 2027 — it arrives on December 31, 2026.
Does the 2027 COLA change my payment date?
No. The 3.6% COLA changes the amount, never the date. Your Wednesday group stays the same all year.
What if my payment date falls on a holiday?
The SSA pays on the business day before, so you receive the money earlier, never later. In 2027 no Wednesday payday hits a federal holiday, so the main table needs no adjustments.