How the government shutdown is affecting Social Security
This is what to know about Social Security payments during the ongoing government shutdown.
Social Security payments for the month of November follow a normal schedule, with just two months before the upcoming cost-of-living increase kicks in.
Social Security benefits – paid mostly to recipients who are older or retired – are typically paid on Wednesdays. If your birthdate falls between the first and 10th days of the month, you are issued payments on the second Wednesday of the month (this month, that’s Nov. 12), according to the Social Security Administration’s calendar.
Subsequent payments go out weekly with beneficiaries born between the 11th and 20th getting paid on the third Wednesday (Nov. 19), and those born after the 20th of the month on the fourth Wednesday of the month (Nov. 26), according to the SSA calendar. Social Security recipients who began getting benefits before May 1997 are paid on Nov. 3.
Those who receive both Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) can expect their Social Security payment on the third day of the month and their SSI payment on the first day of the month – except when the first of the month lands on a weekend or a holiday, as it does in November (Nov. 1 is a Saturday), then SSI payments go out early (Oct. 31).
Payments will not be affected by the government shutdown, and most should be issued electronically since a Sept. 30 deadline has passed for the federal government to stop issuing paper checks – after an executive order signed by President Donald Trump.
Recipients can also look forward to slightly bigger checks to come. Starting in January, benefits checks will reflect a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, increase. Payments will rise by about $56, on average, per month, when the COLA kicks in, the Social Security Administration said.
Will Social Security payments be affected by the government shutdown?
No. While thousands of SSA employees have been furloughed, Social Security and SSI payments will continue with no change in payment dates. That’s because money for the benefit programs is considered mandatory spending by law, meaning its budget is not dependent on yearly congressional approval, according to the SSA.
However, other services provided by the SSA, such as processing new applications, can be impacted by shutdowns and the resulting lack of workers and movement in government systems.
Full 2025 Social Security payment calendarSocial Security payment schedule for November and the months ahead
The Social Security Administration’s calendar of benefit payments for 2025 and 2026 is available online, so you can check the schedule for budgeting purposes.
Regular Social Security retirement benefits for November will be sent out on the SSA’s usual schedule:
- Wednesday, Nov. 12: Birth dates between the first and 10th of the month.
- Wednesday, Nov. 19: Birth dates between the 11th and 20th of the month.
- Wednesday, Nov. 26: Birth dates between the 21st and 31st of the month.
SSI payment schedule for November, the rest of 2025, and into 2026
Recipients of Supplemental Security Income checks are typically issued payments on the first business day of the month. However, since Nov. 1 is a Saturday, those payments will be issued Oct. 31. SSI checks will be sent out on the following dates in 2025 and early 2026, according to the SSA calendar:
- Friday, Oct. 31, 2025 (Check for November 2025)
- Monday, Dec. 1, 2025 (Check for December 2025)
- Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025 (Check for January 2026)
- Friday, Jan. 30, 2026 (Check for February 2026)
- Friday, Feb. 27, 2026 (Check for March 2026)
- Wednesday, April 1, 2026 (Check for April 2026)
- Friday, May 1, 2026 (Check for May 2026)
- Monday, June 1, 2026 (Check for June 2026)
What is SSI?
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a benefit program for persons with limited income or resources, who are aged 65 or older, and who are blind or have a qualifying disability. Children with qualifying disabilities are also eligible, according to the SSA’s website. Adults who qualify for SSI typically do not have monthly wages above $2,019.
If you think you may be eligible for SSI, you can begin the application process online, in person at your local Social Security office, or by calling 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time during the work week.
Contributing: Fernando Cervantes Jr., Mary Walrath-Holdridge and Medora Lee.
Mike Snider is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at mikegsnider & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & msnider@usatoday.com
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