Americans across the country will receive their monthly Social Security payments in November, with changes to the usual schedule because of two upcoming holidays and a weekend.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) distributes payments to nearly 72 million people nationwide, including retired workers, people with disabilities, and the spouses and survivors of eligible workers. Payments are staggered throughout the month depending on the type of benefit a person receives, when they began claiming and, for most recipients, their date of birth.
November's schedule includes an early payment for some beneficiaries because of Veterans Day, while Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients will receive their November payment slightly earlier than usual.
The payments also come after the SSA announced a 3.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2027, which will increase monthly benefits for tens of millions of Americans beginning next year.
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November 2026 Social Security Payment Dates
Social Security payments will be distributed on the following dates:
- October 30: November's SSI payment, issued early because November 1 falls on a Sunday.
- November 3: Social Security payments for people who began receiving benefits before May 1997, or who receive both Social Security and SSI.
- November 10: Payments for beneficiaries with birthdays between the 1st and 10th of any month. These are being issued one day early because Veterans Day falls on Wednesday, November 11.
- November 18: Payments for beneficiaries with birthdays between the 11th and 20th.
- November 25: Payments for beneficiaries with birthdays between the 21st and 31st.
How Much Will Payments Rise in 2027?
Social Security recipients will see their benefits increase by 3.6 percent next year, following an announcement by the SSA on October 14. The adjustment is higher than the 2.8 percent increase implemented in 2026 and will affect approximately 76 million Americans receiving Social Security or SSI benefits.
According to the SSA, the average retired worker's monthly benefit is expected to rise by $75, from $2,095 to $2,170. For couples in which both spouses receive retirement benefits, the average combined payment will increase from $3,238 to $3,355.
The average monthly payment for disabled workers will rise from $1,642 to $1,701. Meanwhile, the maximum federal SSI payment for an individual will increase from $994 to $1,029, with the maximum for eligible couples rising from $1,491 to $1,544.
The COLA is calculated using the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), an inflation measure produced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The SSA compares the average CPI-W for July, August and September with the average for the same three months in the previous year. The percentage increase determines the following year's COLA.
However, concerns remain about whether the increase will sufficiently offset rising living costs.
An AARP survey conducted ahead of the announcement found that 76 percent of Americans aged 50 and older believed a projected 3.5 percent COLA would be insufficient to keep pace with rising prices. Among current Social Security recipients, that figure rose to 80 percent.
"The 3.6 percent COLA raise can make a difference, but it's also a sign of how much prices have risen due to inflation over the past year. For someone who gets the average Social Security check, that’s roughly an extra $75 a month," Tyler End, certified financial planner, CEO and co-founder of a retirement planning firm Retirable, told Newsweek. "That may not stretch very far as healthcare, groceries, and other basic costs are continuing to rise."
When Will Social Security Payments Increase?
Although the COLA has now been announced, November's payments will not include the increase, with the higher amounts starting with Social Security payments issued from January 2027, while SSI recipients will receive their first increased payment on December 31, 2026, because January 1 is a federal holiday.
Recipients will be able to view their personalized COLA notices through their my Social Security accounts starting in late November. The notices will detail each beneficiary's new monthly payment and any applicable deductions, including Medicare premiums.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Ben Kelly and Trevor Davies