For the tens of millions of Americans who depend on Social Security, May brings a straightforward payment schedule with no holiday disruptions to worry about.
Americans who began collecting Social Security before May 1997 will also receive their payment on May 1. There is one exception: those who collect both Social Security and SSI will instead receive their Social Security payment on May 3.
For everyone else—the majority of Social Security recipients—payment timing hinges on one simple factor: the day of the month you were born.
- May 13 for recipients born on the 1st through the 10th
- May 20 for those born on the 11th through the 20th
- May 27 for those born on the 21st through the 31st
Memorial Day, which falls on a Monday this year, will not affect any of these disbursements.
Later in 2026, Some Months Will Look Different
While May is clean, recipients should be aware of irregular disbursement dates coming later in the year. There will be no SSI payment in August—that payment will be sent on July 31 instead, since Aug. 1 falls on a Saturday. Similarly, November’s SSI benefit will be paid early, going out on Oct. 30 because Nov. 1 falls on a Sunday.
What Recipients Are Receiving This Year
May payments reflect the benefit structure that took effect in January, when a 2.8 percent cost-of-living adjustment boosted the average monthly Social Security check from $2,015 to $2,071—a gain of $56. For many seniors enrolled in Medicare, that increase may be partly or entirely offset: Medicare Part B premiums rose to $202.90 per month in 2026, up $17.90 from the prior year, with those costs deducted directly from Social Security checks.
At the higher end of the income spectrum, the maximum possible monthly benefit for someone who delayed claiming until age 70 and earned at the taxable maximum for at least 35 years now stands at $5,251—a record high.
A Look Ahead to 2027 Benefits
Around this coming fall, recipients will learn what the 2027 cost-of-living adjustment will be. The Senior Citizens League, a nonpartisan advocacy and education organization, predicted earlier this month that the increase could come in at 2.8 percent—identical to this year’s adjustment.
