In an exclusive interview with KTLA 5 News, we discussed the upcoming changes for approximately seven million Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries. As we look ahead to November, which is notable not just for the presidential election and Thanksgiving, this month will also bring an additional check for SSI recipients.
Typically, SSI beneficiaries receive their monthly payments from the Social Security Administration (SSA) on the first day of each month. If that day falls on a weekend or holiday, the payment is made on the previous business day.
In August, beneficiaries received checks for both August and September, but in September, they did not receive any payments. A similar pattern will occur in November, as beneficiaries will receive their November payment and also the December payment, with the upcoming December payments scheduled for Friday, December 1, as that date falls on a Sunday.
The following payment cycle will see checks issued for January on December 31, 2024. Notably, the first days of January, February, and March 2025 all fall on weekends or holidays. On January 31, a payment for February will be distributed. Subsequently, the check for February 28 will provide benefits for March, but there will be no payment for March, with payments returning to the normal schedule in April.
Regardless of when payments are received, SSI beneficiaries will receive all the mandated annual amounts. However, those who receive two payments in one month and none in the following may need to adjust their budgeting accordingly.
It’s important to note that recipients of regular Social Security benefits, as opposed to SSI, will not be impacted by the additional payments in November and December, but they may feel the effects of the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) announced by the SSA earlier this month.
The latest COLA adjustment is set at 2.5%, which is lower than last year’s 3.2% and the 8.7% increase in 2022, reflecting a trend of slowing inflation. This adjustment is based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) calculated by the Labor Department.
