The U.S. Social Security Administration will issue its last regular June payment on Wednesday, June 24, 2026. This check is designated for beneficiaries whose birthdays fall between the 21st and 31st of any month. The agency advises recipients to allow three additional mailing days before contacting them if the payment does not arrive.
Social Security payments for most individuals who began receiving benefits after May 1997 are determined by birth date. Those with birthdays from the 1st to the 10th receive payments on the second Wednesday of the month; birthdays from the 11th to the 20th are paid on the third Wednesday; and those from the 21st to the 31st are paid on the fourth Wednesday. For beneficiaries collecting on another person’s record, the worker’s birthday is used as the reference, according to AS USA.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI), a separate program for low-income individuals who are aged, blind, or disabled, saw its June payment issued on June 1. Social Security recipients who began benefits before May 1997 or who receive both Social Security and SSI received their June payment on June 3.
In May 2026, Social Security sent checks to 71.233 million people, with the average benefit at $1,934.52. Retirement benefits averaged $2,028.00, and retired workers received a higher average of $2,082.76, according to the latest SSA snapshot.
Payments for 2026 include a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), tied to consumer prices. The SSA confirmed the increase began with Social Security benefits paid in January 2026 and SSI payments sent on December 31, 2025.
July payment dates will shift for both Social Security and SSI due to the Independence Day holiday. Newsweek reports that SSI payments will go out on July 1. Those who started Social Security before May 1997 or also receive SSI will be paid on July 2. Payments based on birth dates will be issued on July 8, July 15, and July 22. The July 2 payment precedes the Independence Day holiday, which federal employees will observe on Friday, July 3, since July 4 falls on a Saturday in 2026, per the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
The SSA is phasing out paper checks, moving all beneficiaries to electronic payments. In a June 2 post, the agency stated that under federal law and Executive Order 14247, all benefits must be paid electronically starting September 30, 2025. Paper checks are 16 times more likely to be lost, stolen, altered, or returned undeliverable than electronic payments.
Beyond this week’s calendar, a more significant concern for beneficiaries is the financial health of the Social Security trust funds. The Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund is projected to pay full scheduled benefits only through the fourth quarter of 2032, after which income would cover just 78% of scheduled payments, according to trustees. The combined retirement, survivors, and disability funds are expected to meet full benefits through 2034, then drop to 83%.
Independent analyst Mary Johnson, who tracks Social Security and Medicare, sees the 2027 COLA reaching 4.7% or higher if hot inflation persists. She noted “enormous cost pressures” are affecting beneficiaries. Shannon Benton of the Senior Citizens League added that seniors are struggling to cover basic needs like food, housing, and transportation.
