Social Security July Benefits Schedule: Here's Who's Getting Paid and When

This year, the month of July is a special case because of the Independence Day federal holiday.

Published: 7/2/2026, 3:05:59 PM EDT

Social Security July Benefits Schedule: Here's Who's Getting Paid and When — A Social Security card sits alongside checks from the U.S. Treasury in this photo illustration in Washington on Oct. 14, 2021. The Government Accountability Office found evidence of Obamacare enrollment fraud involving fake accounts created with Social Security numbers of people reported dead before enrollment. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Social Security will begin disbursing regular payments next week.

More than 71 million older Americans receive Social Security benefits. For most beneficiaries, the Social Security Administration disburses payments on the second, third, and fourth Wednesdays of each month.

According to the Social Security Administration's (SSA) benefits calendar, Americans born between the 1st and 10th of their respective birth month will receive their payouts on Wednesday, July 8; those born between the 11th and 21st will be paid out on Wednesday, July 15; and those born between the 21st and 31st will get their benefit payments on Wednesday, July 22.

Some older Americans have already received their payments. Before 1997, Social Security benefits were paid on the 3rd of the month each month of the year. When the SSA introduced a cyclical payment scheme in June of that year, those who were already receiving benefits were grandfathered in and would keep receiving payments on the 3rd.

Moreover, Supplemental Security Income (SSI)—a monthly payment for senior citizen beneficiaries who have little or no financial resources or income outside of Social Security or low-income people who are blind or have a disability—is paid on the first of the month. Americans who receive both Social Security and SSI receive their SSI on the 1st and their regular benefits on the 3rd.

This year, the month of July is a special case because of the Independence Day federal holiday. Since July 4 falls on a Saturday, the holiday occurs on Friday, July 3. But when a payment date falls on a federal holiday, the payment is backdated to the previous business day.

As a result, older Americans who have been on Social Security since before May 1997 and Americans receiving both Social Security and SSI received their benefits on Thursday, July 2. SSI payments were paid out as regularly scheduled on Wednesday, July 1.

Americans receiving SSI will also have their August benefits paid in July. August 1 falls on a Saturday, which means SSI benefits will be paid out on Friday, July 31.

According to the Social Security Administration, more than 71 million Americans receive Social Security benefits. Nearly $138 billion is paid out monthly, with the average benefit being $1,934.52. Another 7.3 million beneficiaries receive SSI payments. Those payments total about $5.7 billion each month, and the average payment is $738.13.

In an email to beneficiaries celebrating Independence Day, SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano encouraged senior citizens to take advantage of the tax relief provided by the Working Families Tax Cuts Act. The Internal Revenue Service notes on its website that for tax years 2025-2028, taxpayers age 65 or older who report modified adjusted gross income below $75,000 (or $150,000 for married couples filing jointly) are eligible to claim an additional $6,000 deduction per person. The deduction is regardless of whether a filer takes the standard deduction or itemizes; he or she needs only be 65 years old before the last day of the tax year to qualify.

Bisignano also touted the SSA's accomplishments during the Trump Administration: reducing wait times at field offices by 30 percent; answering phone calls 75 percent faster; reducing disability claim processing times by 25 percent; introducing online accounts with over 100 million users; and processing over 100 million more transactions this year.