{"id":287328,"date":"2026-01-16T09:59:13","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T09:59:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/287328\/"},"modified":"2026-01-16T09:59:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T09:59:13","slug":"social-security-benefits-go-out-on-jan-21-this-is-who-gets-a-payment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/287328\/","title":{"rendered":"Social Security benefits go out on Jan. 21: this is who gets a payment"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"\">Next Wednesday, <b>Social Security recipients across the U.S. are<\/b> <b>to get their <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/en.as.com\/latest_news\/when-is-social-security-sending-out-benefits-in-january-this-is-the-complete-payment-schedule-f202601-n\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/en.as.com\/latest_news\/when-is-social-security-sending-out-benefits-in-january-this-is-the-complete-payment-schedule-f202601-n\/\"><b>first benefits<\/b><\/a><b> of the new year<\/b>, in what is the fourth payment run on the Social Security Administration\u2019s (SSA) schedule for January. <\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Because of the way the SSA organizes its monthly payment calendar, next week\u2019s beneficiaries are among <b>millions who have endured the longest possible wait<\/b> for their January money.<\/p>\n<p>Who gets a payment from Social Security on Wednesday, Jan. 21?<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Payments are scheduled to go out to certain recipients of <b>retirement, disability and survivor benefits<\/b>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Of the just over 70 million Americans who receive one of these benefits, <b>most are issued their payment on the second, third or fourth Wednesday<\/b> in each month. <\/p>\n<p class=\"\">A recipient\u2019s designated Wednesday <b>is determined by the date of birth <\/b>of the worker whose Social Security taxes have accumulated the benefits entitlement. <\/p>\n<p class=\"\">If you receive benefits <b>based on your own work record<\/b>, your date of birth is used. If you claim <b>based on the employment history of a family member<\/b> &#8211; such as a spouse or parent &#8211; the SSA uses the relative\u2019s birthday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Jan. 21 is the third Wednesday in January, so <b>next week\u2019s distribution date covers birthdays that fall between the 11th and 20th<\/b> <b>of any month<\/b>. The full three-Wednesdays schedule for January is as follows:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Beneficiaries born on 1st-10th: <b>Weds., Jan. 14<\/b><\/li>\n<li>Beneficiaries born on 11th-20th: <b>Weds., Jan. 21<\/b><\/li>\n<li>Beneficiaries born on 21st-31st: <b>Weds., Jan. 28<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"\">Because New Year\u2019s Day 2026 was a Thursday, January\u2019s trio of Wednesday payments <b>come at their <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/en.as.com\/latest_news\/this-month-many-social-security-recipients-face-a-longer-wait-for-their-benefits-heres-why-and-whos-affected-f202601-n\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/en.as.com\/latest_news\/this-month-many-social-security-recipients-face-a-longer-wait-for-their-benefits-heres-why-and-whos-affected-f202601-n\/\"><b>latest possible points<\/b><\/a><b> in the month<\/b>. October is the only other month this year when the second Wednesday falls as late as the 14th.<\/p>\n<p>Who isn\u2019t paid January benefits on the 2nd, 3rd or 4th Wednesday? <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Certain long-term Social Security recipients<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"\">If you began receiving retirement, disability or survivor benefits before May 1997, you are normally paid<b> on the third day of each month<\/b>, regardless of your date of birth.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">However, as Jan. 3 was a Saturday, these beneficiaries <b>were instead scheduled to get their January money <\/b>on the earliest working day before then: <a href=\"https:\/\/en.as.com\/latest_news\/social-security-benefits-are-going-out-on-friday-jan-2-heres-whos-getting-a-payment-f202601-n\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/en.as.com\/latest_news\/social-security-benefits-are-going-out-on-friday-jan-2-heres-whos-getting-a-payment-f202601-n\/\">Friday, Jan. 2<\/a>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Beneficiaries of the SSI scheme<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"\">The nearly 7.4 million recipients of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ssa.gov\/ssi\/text-over-ussi.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.ssa.gov\/ssi\/text-over-ussi.htm\">Supplemental Security Income<\/a> (SSI) &#8211; a separate, purely needs-based benefit for low-income individuals who are over 65 or have a disability &#8211; are typically <b>paid on the first day of each month<\/b>. <\/p>\n<p class=\"\">But New Year\u2019s Day is a federal holiday, so <b>January\u2019s SSI benefits were due to go out 24 hours ahead of schedule<\/b>, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.as.com\/latest_news\/social-security-is-sending-out-payments-on-wednesday-dec-31-heres-who-gets-a-check-tomorrow-f202512-n\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/en.as.com\/latest_news\/social-security-is-sending-out-payments-on-wednesday-dec-31-heres-who-gets-a-check-tomorrow-f202512-n\/\">on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p class=\"\">This is <a href=\"https:\/\/en.as.com\/latest_news\/ssi-beneficiaries-will-enjoy-early-payment-until-spring-2026-this-is-why-f202601-n\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/en.as.com\/latest_news\/ssi-beneficiaries-will-enjoy-early-payment-until-spring-2026-this-is-why-f202601-n\/\">the first of three straight months<\/a> in which SSI benefits are to be paid early: <b>February and March\u2019s payments will each go out two days early<\/b> &#8211; on Jan. 30 and Feb. 27, respectively &#8211; as they are both months that kick off with a Sunday.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Dual recipients (SSI + regular Social Security)<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"\">Around 2.5 million Americans claim <b>both SSI and one of the SSA\u2019s retirement, disability or survivor benefits<\/b>. For January, these beneficiaries were scheduled to get <b>the former on Dec. 31, and the latter on Jan. 2<\/b>.<\/p>\n<p>At a glance &#8211; Jan. payment dates not determined by birthday:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>SSI recipients: <\/b>Wednesday, Dec. 31 (Jan. payment)<\/li>\n<li><b>Pre-May \u201997 Social Sec. recipients:<\/b> Friday, Jan. 2<\/li>\n<li><b>Dual recipients: <\/b>SSI on Dec. 31; Social Sec. on Jan. 2<\/li>\n<li><b>SSI recipients: <\/b>Friday,<b> <\/b>Jan. 30 (Feb. payment)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"\">You can check out<b> the SSA\u2019s 2026 benefits-distribution schedule in full <\/b>in this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ssa.gov\/pubs\/EN-05-10031-2026.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.ssa.gov\/pubs\/EN-05-10031-2026.pdf\">online pdf<\/a> shared by the agency.<\/p>\n<p>How much do Social Security and SSI beneficiaries get per month?<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">As of November 2025, retired workers &#8211; who make up most of the U.S.\u2019s Social Security beneficiaries &#8211; got<b> $2,013.32 a month on average<\/b>, per <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ssa.gov\/policy\/docs\/quickfacts\/stat_snapshot\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.ssa.gov\/policy\/docs\/quickfacts\/stat_snapshot\/\">the SSA\u2019s most recent figures<\/a>. <b>Disabled workers were paid a monthly average of $1,588.52<\/b>, and recipients of survivor benefits were issued a an average of $1,576.20 per month. <b>SSI beneficiaries were paid an average of $717.90 a month<\/b>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">However, the SSA <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ssa.gov\/blog\/en\/posts\/2025-10-24.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.ssa.gov\/blog\/en\/posts\/2025-10-24.html\">confirmed in October<\/a> that its beneficiaries<b> are to get a 2.8% rise in their payments in 2026<\/b>, starting with January\u2019s payments. This comes as part of the agency\u2019s annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). <\/p>\n<p class=\"\">For more information on <b>this year\u2019s adjusted benefit amounts<\/b>, take a look at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ssa.gov\/news\/en\/cola\/factsheets\/2026.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.ssa.gov\/news\/en\/cola\/factsheets\/2026.html\">this SSA fact sheet<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>How does the Social Security Administration make benefits payments?<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">The SSA <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ssa.gov\/news\/en\/advocates\/2025-09-10.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.ssa.gov\/news\/en\/advocates\/2025-09-10.html\">says<\/a> it is \u201cin most cases\u201d no longer offering recipients the option of getting their benefits in paper-check form. Instead, the agency gives beneficiaries <b>two ways of picking up payments electronically:<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"\">By providing the SSA with their bank details, recipients can <b>get their benefits by direct deposit<\/b>. <\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Beneficiaries of retirement, disability and survivor pay can update their account information online <b>using the agency\u2019s \u201c<\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=fFmSHpg-ib4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=fFmSHpg-ib4\"><b>my Social Security<\/b><\/a><b>\u201d portal<\/b>. SSI recipients should call 1-800-772-1213, the SSA says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Recipients can also have<b> their benefits loaded onto the <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ssa.gov\/faqs\/en\/questions\/KA-02429.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.ssa.gov\/faqs\/en\/questions\/KA-02429.html\"><b>Direct Express Card<\/b><\/a>, a special debit card for federal payments made to people who do not have a bank account. To sign up for Direct Express, you can call 1-800-333-1795 or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usdirectexpress.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.usdirectexpress.com\/\">visit the service\u2019s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Related stories<a href=\"https:\/\/en.as.com\/latest_news\/what-are-the-powerball-winning-numbers-on-wednesday-jan-14-2026-lottery-jackpot-and-prize-money-f202601-n\/\" class=\"s_m_w\" title=\"A jackpot of over $150 million was up for grabs in Wednesday\u2019s Powerball drawing.\" data-tb-link=\"\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/JF5LAQUA2FF47D57HIGBTVGPZI.jpg\" alt=\"What are the Powerball winning numbers on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026? 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Whether you\u2019re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all. <\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more \u2013 plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. <a href=\"https:\/\/en.as.com\/app-as\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/en.as.com\/app-as\/\">Download now for all-access coverage<\/a>, right at your fingertips \u2013 anytime, anywhere.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Next Wednesday, Social Security recipients across the U.S. are to get their first benefits of the new year,&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":287329,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[177],"tags":[79,18,19,17,234,235],"class_list":{"0":"post-287328","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-personal-finance","8":"tag-business","9":"tag-eire","10":"tag-ie","11":"tag-ireland","12":"tag-personal-finance","13":"tag-personalfinance"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/115904195004887496","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/287328","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=287328"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/287328\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/287329"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=287328"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=287328"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=287328"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}