Some recipients of Social Security benefits will receive two checks in the month of December, as a calendar quirk will move the payment timeline for an adjacent month.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) ordinarily disburses payments for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) on the first day of a given month. The SSI program provides monthly payments to eligible older adults who have little or no income, as well as to disabled individuals, which is different from Social Security’s standard retirement benefits.
When the first of the month falls on a weekend or a federal holiday, SSI payments for that month are made on the last business day of the preceding month to ensure that beneficiaries have received their funds before the new month begins, and they face potential expenses.
Due to the way the 2025 calendar falls, two SSI payments will go out in the month of December – one on Dec. 1, will provide December’s benefits; while the second on Wednesday, Dec. 31, will deliver benefits for the month of January.
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SSI payments are typically made via direct deposit, though beneficiaries without bank accounts or who want to receive the funds through a different mechanism can get them on Direct Express cards.
SSA moved to discontinue paper checks at the end of September following a Trump administration order earlier this year that mandated all federal payments transition to electronic transfers, such as direct deposit to bank accounts or transfers to debit cards.
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Data from the SSA showed that as of September, more than 68 million Americans around the country were receiving Social Security benefits. Of that figure, around 390,000, or about 0.6%, were receiving paper checks.
The SSA website offers methods by which beneficiaries can enroll in direct deposit through the My Social Security platform, or by phone through either the SSA or the Treasury Department’s electronic payment solution center.
Beneficiaries may also enroll in person by visiting their financial institution.
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