Some Social Security recipients may get a surprise in November: an extra check.
Don't worry about that if you get Social Security, there's nothing unusual about the situation. If you keep an eye on the Social Security Administration's payment schedule you may already have a handle on it.
By a quirk of the calendar, those Social Security beneficiaries who also get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) will get three checks in the month of November: two SSI payments in addition to their monthly Social Security check, government-issued retirement income for those 62 and older.
However, SSI recipients will not get a check in the following month, December. SSI recipients faced the same situation in August when they got two checks and no SSI check in September.
Holiday shopping season: Why a new survey expects shoppers to spend more this year
Why are SSI recipients getting two checks in November?
The quirk in the calendar happens in November because Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits - additional payments beyond Social Security for those with little or no income and very limited resources - come out on the first business day of each month.
SSI recipients will get their November payment on Nov. 1, but since Dec. 1 falls on a Sunday this year, SSI payments for December will be distributed on Friday, Nov. 29, according to the SSA calendar.
The 2025 calendar is online, too, and there will be similar calendar quirks in the coming year. For instance, SSI recipients will get their January 2025 payment on Dec. 31, 2024. Then they will get their February 2025 payment on Jan. 31, 2025, and their March 2025 payment on Feb., 28, 2025.
That means SSI beneficiaries will get no payment in the month of March. In May 2025, they will also get two payments but none in June.
What is SSI?
SSI provides payments to people with limited income resources who are 65 or older, blind, or those who have a qualifying disability - including children with a qualifying disability - the SSA website says. For adults, SSI is generally for those who don't earn more than $1,971 from work each month.
If you think you could be eligible for SSI, a new, streamlined process for Americans to apply for SSI benefits is scheduled to be rolled out later this year.
November Social Security payment schedule
The Social Security Administration's yearly distribution schedules are available online so you can use the calendar for budgeting purposes.
Regular Social Security retirement benefits will be sent out on the SSA's usual schedule:
◾ Wednesday, Nov. 13: Birth dates between the 1st and 10th of the month.
◾ Wednesday, Nov. 20: Birth dates between the 11th and the 20th of the month.
◾ Wednesday, Nov. 27: Birth dates between the 21st and the 31st of the month.
Contributing: Susan Tompor and Mary Walrath-Holdridge.
Follow Mike Snider on X and Threads: @mikesnider & mikegsnider.
What's everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day