When will your Social Security payment arrive in November 2026? Two dates shift, and SSI gets paid early

Social Security payments for November will reach beneficiaries on different days, and the usual calendar has shifted a little this time. Two things cause this; November 1 falls on a Sunday, and Veterans Day comes on Wednesday, November 11.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) pays nearly 72 million people. They include retired workers, people with disabilities, and the spouses and survivors of eligible workers. The date of payment depends on the type of benefit, when the person started claiming it and, for most people, their birth date.

Here is the schedule:

• October 30: SSI payment for November. Since November 1 is a Sunday, it comes early.


• November 3: For people who started getting benefits before May 1997, and for those who receive both Social Security and SSI.


• November 10: For people born between the 1st and 10th of any month. This is one day earlier than normal because of the Veterans Day holiday on November 11.


• November 18: For people born between the 11th and 20th.


• November 25: For people born between the 21st and 31st.

What the 3.6 percent raise means

On October 14, the SSA announced a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) of 3.6 percent for 2027. This is higher than the 2.8 percent raise given in 2026. About 76 million people who get Social Security or SSI will see their monthly amount go up from next year. This number is higher than the 72 million above because it also counts SSI recipients.

Here is what the SSA expects:

• Average retired worker: from $2,095 to $2,170 a month, a rise of $75.


• Couples where both spouses get retirement benefits: from $3,238 to $3,355 combined.


• Disabled workers: from $1,642 to $1,701.


• Maximum SSI for one person: from $994 to $1,029.


• Maximum SSI for a couple: from $1,491 to $1,544.

The COLA is based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), a measure of inflation prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The SSA takes the average CPI-W of July, August and September and compares it with the same three months of the previous year. The difference in percentage becomes the next year’s COLA.

Before the COLA announcement, AARP surveyed Americans and asked about a possible 3.5 percent COLA. Among people aged 50 and above, 76 percent said it would not be enough to keep up with prices. Among those already getting Social Security, the figure was 80 percent.