The Christmas season is over! Now we only need to stick to our budgets and try to recover from the overindulging and excessive shopping we did the last few weeks. Maybe the Grinch was right about consumerism after all! For those citizens who rely on their Social Security for their main stream of income, it’s normal to wonder when the January payment will arrive—it can’t be sent fast enough.
Well, the first payment will be done on January 14, the latest day it could have been sent due to the way the month has turned out. January 14 is the second Wednesday of the month, so those retired citizens who were born on the first 10 days of their birthday month will be sent their check that day.
Which retirees will get the first 2026 SS payment
According to the Social Security Administration, the first batch of payments in January goes to retirees with birthdays falling between the 1st and the 10th. As we said before, those funds are scheduled to go out on January 14, 2026.
The rest of the timeline looks like this:
- January 21: For retirees born from the 11th to the 20th.
- January 28: For retirees born from the 21st to the 31st.
How old do you have to be to start getting benefits?
You are eligible to start collecting Social Security checks as soon as you turn 62. That said, the size of your check changes significantly based on when you decide to stop working and how much you paid into the system over the years.
Ways to get a bigger monthly payment
Your final amount mostly comes down to three things:
- How old you are when you retire
- How much money you paid into Social Security
- The total number of years you contributed
The SSA notes that if you claim benefits at 62, the most you can get is $2,831 a month. On the other hand, if you hold off until age 70, you could receive the maximum monthly benefit of $5,108.
If you want to see exactly what you might get, you can run a personalized estimate using the calculator on the official SSA website.
Social Security checks are going up to match inflation
The great news is that new benefit amounts will change to reflect the 2.8% Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) calculated for this year. This is the standard adjustment meant to ensure benefits don’t fall behind rising prices. Because the rate is moving up from last year’s 2.5% to 2.8% for 2026, everyone will see their monthly payments rise by that same 2.8%.
This change also raises the earnings limit for Social Security taxes to $184,500. Essentially, for 2026, employees will pay payroll taxes on every dollar made until they reach that $184,500 ceiling.
Anyone making that amount or more will pay $11,439.00 into the Social Security fund, and their employer is required to match that contribution dollar-for-dollar.
This raise in payments for 2026 was already perceived in the Supplemental Salary Income, which was sent out on December 31 (since New Year is a national holiday). This SSI was already adjusted to the 2.8% COLA. For those receiving SSI, the monthly check is going up to $994, an increase from the $967 amount paid in 2025.
FAQs
When will I get my Social Security check in January?
It depends on your birthday. The first round of payments goes out on Wednesday, January 14, for anyone born between the 1st and the 10th of the month.
- Born Jan 11–20? You get paid on Wednesday, January 21.
- Born Jan 21–31? You get paid on Wednesday, January 28.
Why is my payment amount slightly bigger?
Your check is gettinga slight increase to help keep up with the cost of living (inflation). For 2026, there is a 2.8% increase (COLA). This means if you received benefits last year, your monthly payment will be 2.8% higher starting in January.
Did I miss my SSI payment for January?
You shouldn’t have! Because New Year’s Day is a holiday, the SSI payment for January was actually sent early on December 31. This check also includes the new 2.8% increase, raising the standard amount to $994.