The timing matters because Social Security payments do not arrive on the same date for everyone. According to the Social Security Administration’s latest monthly data, more than 75 million Americans received Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, or both in July, including about 71.3 million people receiving Social Security retirement, survivor or spousal benefits.
Two Groups Receive Payments at the Start of September
According to Newsweek, supplemental Security Income recipients are scheduled to receive their September payment on Tuesday, September 1. SSI is normally paid on the first day of each month unless that date falls on a weekend or federal holiday.
A second group will receive payments on Thursday, September 3. According to the Social Security Administration’s 2026 payment calendar, that date applies to people who began receiving Social Security benefits before May 1997. People who receive both Social Security and SSI also follow this schedule. Their SSI payment is issued separately on September 1, while the Social Security portion is scheduled for September 3.
Other beneficiaries will receive their September payments later in the month, based on their dates of birth. Payments are scheduled for September 9 for beneficiaries born between the 1st and 10th of a month, September 16 for those born between the 11th and 20th, and September 23 for people with birthdays between the 21st and 31st.
The amount received varies considerably. In 2026, the maximum retirement benefit for someone claiming at full retirement age is $4,152 per month. A worker claiming at age 62 can receive up to $2,969, while a person delaying benefits until age 70 can receive as much as $5,181.
According to the SSA data reported by Newsweek, the average retired worker received $2,085.98 in July 2026. Across all Social Security beneficiaries, including retirees, spouses, survivors and disabled beneficiaries, the average monthly payment was $1,940.08.
SSI Amounts Differ as Attention Turns to the 2027 COLA
SSI operates differently from Social Security retirement benefits because it is based on financial need rather than primarily on a worker’s employment record. The maximum federal SSI payment in 2026 is $994 per month for an individual and $1,491 for an eligible couple.
Actual payments can be lower because income, living arrangements and other factors may affect the amount. The average SSI payment, including federally administered state supplements where applicable, was $736.54 per month in July.
Attention is also turning toward the 2027 cost-of-living adjustment, which is designed to help Social Security benefits keep pace with inflation. The adjustment is calculated using the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers during July, August and September.
For July 2026, the CPI-W was 3.4 percent higher than a year earlier. The Senior Citizens League currently estimates a 3.6 percent COLA for 2027, while AARP expects a 3.5 percent adjustment.
Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor at the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek that a COLA in the upper 3 percent range was becoming increasingly possible, while noting that the same inflation producing a larger increase was also raising retirees’ costs. The Social Security Administration traditionally announces the official COLA in October, after all three third-quarter inflation readings become available.
