SSDI and SSI Payment Dates for 2026

Approved for benefits and want to know what day of the month you’ll receive your disability benefit? The day depends on whether you’re receiving SSI payments, SSDI payments, or both. If you’re getting SSI, your payment date will usually be on the 1st of the month. If you get just SSDI, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will deposit your money on the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th Wednesday of the month, depending on your birthday.

SSI Payment Schedule for 2026

Social Security deposits SSI benefits on the 1st day of each month unless the 1st is on a weekend or holiday. In that case, the SSA will deposit your benefits on the day before the weekend or holiday. For example, January 1 is always a holiday, so Social Security will deposit your SSI payment the day before. The SSI payment for January 2026 was deposited on Wednesday, December 31, 2025. And the SSI payment for January 2027 will be deposited on December 31, 2026 (with the cost-of-living adjustment).


In 2026, the 1st of the month falls on the weekend for the months of February, March, August, and November, so those payments will be made on the last Friday of January, February, July, and October this year.

Unlike SSDI payments, the SSI payment that Social Security usually deposits on the 1st of the month is actually your benefit for that month. For example, a May 1 check is the SSI benefit for May.

SSDI Disability Payment Dates for 2026

The date you receive your SSDI payment depends on when your birthday falls:


• For birthdays that fall on the 1st through the 10th of a month, you’ll receive your direct deposit on the second Wednesday each month.
• For birthdays that fall on the 11th through the 20th of a month, you’ll receive your direct deposit on the third Wednesday each month.
• For birthdays that fall on the 21st through the 31st of a month, you’ll receive your direct deposit on the fourth Wednesday each month.

For people who receive dependent benefits like spousal benefits or adult disabled child benefits that are based on a family member’s work record, the payment date is based on the family member’s birth date.


Keep in mind that the deposit you receive each month for your SSDI payment is actually your SSDI benefit for the prior month. For example, a June 1st check would be for your May SSDI benefit.

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SSDI and SSI Combined Payment Dates for 2026

If Social Security is paying you both SSDI and SSI payments, Social Security will deposit your SSDI payment on the 3rd day of each month (except when the 3rd falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday, as discussed above). And Social Security will deposit your SSI payment on the 1st day of each month (except for weekends and holidays).


The one time you can request a change of payment date is if you receive both SSDI and SSI. In that case, you can request that Social Security deposit your SSDI benefit according to your birthday, as discussed above in the SSDI section.

Payment Dates for Your First Benefit Check

Social Security tries to send out checks within a month of approving your benefits, but many disability applicants have to wait two months or more from the date of the award letter to get their first payment. People who receive SSDI alone often get their checks sooner, if they’ve already satisfied the five-month waiting period. (All SSDI recipients are subject to a five-month waiting period before they’re entitled to receive disability benefits. Social Security will withhold five months of your benefits before starting to pay you monthly payments.)


If you’re entitled to back payments, you should receive a direct deposit for your back pay one or two months following your approval. You may receive it before or after you receive your first monthly payment.