Although the Social Security Administration’s payment schedules are very similar and follow a pattern, there are important changes to highlight in December. The first one to be noticed is the fact that there is no SSI payment scheduled for December 1, 2024. As a matter of fact, eligible recipients must have collected it on November 29 because the 1st is Sunday.
Usually, there is a Social Security payment for retirees and SSDI recipients on the third. Then, there are usually three Wednesday payments. In December 2024, there will be a payment on the 3rd but only 2 checks will be issued on Wednesdays.
No Social Security Payment on the Fourth Wednesday in December
The Administration has confirmed that the payment due on December 25, will be issued on December 24 instead. This is because December 25 is Christmas Day and it is a Federal Holiday.
However, there will be a payment on the second and another one on the third Wednesday in December. So, retirees and SSDI recipients who qualify will get their monthly payments on December 11, 18, and 24.
While to get Social Security on December 3 you must have been on retirement or SSDI benefits since before May 1997, it is also possible to qualify if you also receive SSI payments. The payments on the 11th, 18th, and 24th will be for those recipients whose birthdays are from: 1-10, 11-20, or 21-31 respectively.
Will Social Security payment amounts be affected by these changes?
Not at all. Social Security payment amounts will remain the same in December for retirees and SSDI recipients. As a matter of fact, they will not change until January 2025.
This will be when the Social Security payments will start to include the average 50-dollar increase from January 3 onward. Only Supplemental Security Income recipients will benefit from the COLA increase on December 31, 2024.
The average retirement benefit payment will be about $1,927 in December, per Social Security’s COLA Fact Sheet. SSDI recipients may get about $1,542. SSI recipients will get about $697 on average.
