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(NEXSTAR) – We’re less than two weeks away from the calendar flipping to August, which may have some Social Security beneficiaries looking forward to their next disbursement. However, some will not receive their usual payment next month.
August will start on a Saturday, which proves to be a small hiccup for those who receive Supplemental Security Income.
SSI payments are for those with disabilities and older adults with little to no income. For payments in 2026, the monthly maximum benefit is $994 for eligible individuals, $1,491 for those with an eligible spouse, and $498 for “an essential person.”
August is the fourth month of 2026 in which regular SSI payments will not be sent out on the first day of the month. Beneficiaries will still receive their monthly income, but it will be sent out on Friday, July 31. Whenever the first day of a month falls on a weekend or a holiday, the Social Security Administration sends out that month’s payments on the prior business day.
Regardless of when Social Security payments are sent out, beneficiaries will receive all of their anticipated funds.
2026 SSI payments have been wonky
This year started in a bumpy fashion for SSI payments.
Because January 1 is a holiday, SSI recipients received their first SSI payment of 2026 on December 31. Then, February 1 fell on a Sunday, which meant that month’s payments were sent out on January 30.
March 1 also fell on a Sunday, leading to SSI payments being disbursed on February 27.
After August, SSI benefits will go out as usual until October, when two checks are disbursed. The second will be November’s payments, since November 1 is a Sunday. There will be two payments again in December, with the second serving as January 2027’s usual payment.
When do other August Social Security payments arrive?
It will largely be business as usual for all other Social Security recipients in August.
The table below shows other payments will be disbursed:
PaymentDateSocial Security (if you received benefits before May 1997, or if you also receive SSI)August 3If your birth date is between the 1st and 10thAugust 12If your birth date is between the 11th and 20thAugust 19If your birth date is between the 21st and 31stAugust 26How your payment arrives may be different
Since last year, the Social Security Administration and other federal agencies have been moving away from paper checks.
Instead, beneficiaries have been encouraged to sign up for direct deposit or another form of digital payment as part of a move by the Trump administration to “payments to and from America’s bank account” and to promote “operational efficiency.”
There’s a good chance that your Social Security benefits are already set up to be sent to your bank account or another digital payment method. Paper payments were set to cease at the end of September 2025, with some exceptions. Plus, data from the Social Security Administration shows that less than 1% of beneficiaries receive paper checks.
If you are among those who are still receiving a paper check, the Social Security Administration recommends switching to digital payments “as soon as possible.”
You can do this online through the Social Security website, or your banking institution can share direct deposit information with the agency. If you are without access to banking services or electronic payment systems, you can still receive a prepaid debit card through the Direct Express program. More details can be found on the GoDirect.gov website.
The Social Security Administration says it intends to fully transition to electronic payments this year.
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