(NEXSTAR) — With October wrapping up, you might be looking ahead to November for your Social Security benefits.
If you’re receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI), it’s important to note that there won’t be a payment on November 1st—actually, you won’t receive any payment in November. But don’t fret; your funds are still coming as scheduled.
SSI recipients include individuals with disabilities and seniors who have minimal income. As a reference, in 2025, the maximum monthly payout is set at $967 for individuals and $1,450 for couples, with payments generally issued on the first of the month.
This is one of the rare months within the year where SSI payments are absent. Other months without payments were March, June, and September. The reason for November’s absence is that the month begins on a Saturday. When the first falls on a weekend or holiday, the Social Security Administration typically issues payments on the last business day prior.
For November, SSI payments will be processed on Friday, October 31st.
In some cases, even when a month kicks off on a weekend, beneficiaries have received their checks the previous month. So, for instance, since February 1st was a Saturday, the February SSI payment came out on January 31st. Similarly, March’s payment was sent before the month began, on February 28th.
However, this pattern doesn’t apply for November. Since December 1st falls on a Monday, it won’t impact December’s SSI payment schedule. Additionally, because New Year’s Day is a holiday, beneficiaries will receive their payments for January 2026 on December 31st.
Other Social Security payments due in November are expected to be dispatched as normal.
- November 3: Benefits for individuals receiving Social Security prior to May 1997, or for those on both Social Security and SSI.
- November 12: Special benefits for birthdays that fall between the 1st and the 10th.
- November 19: Special benefits for those with birthdays from the 11th to the 20th.
- November 26: Special benefits for birthdays from the 21st to the 31st.
Regardless of when the SSI payment is made, beneficiaries will receive all the funds they are entitled to. Unlike SNAP benefits, Social Security and SSI payments won’t be affected by the ongoing government shutdown.
That said, the government shutdown did cause a delay in the Social Security Administration’s cost-of-living adjustments. Last week, the agency announced a 2.8% increase in Social Security and SSI benefits effective in 2026, with the first payment reflecting this adjustment slated for December 31st (essentially the January 2026 payment).
