Social Security October 2026 payment schedule: When checks will arrive
Millions of Americans receiving Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits will receive their October 2026 payments on several different dates, depending on the type of benefit and the recipient’s birthday.
SSI recipients are scheduled to receive their October payment on Thursday, October 1.
Social Security beneficiaries who began receiving benefits before May 1997 will receive their payment on Friday, October 2, because October 3 falls on a Saturday.
For beneficiaries who started receiving Social Security after April 1997, the October schedule is based on birth date:
- Born 1st–10th: Wednesday, October 14
- Born 11th–20th: Wednesday, October 21
- Born 21st–31st: Wednesday, October 28
The Social Security Administration confirms that these payments are normally issued on the second, third and fourth Wednesdays of each month according to the beneficiary’s birth date.
Recipients who do not receive an expected electronic payment should first contact their bank or financial institution before reporting the missing payment to the Social Security Administration.
