The timing of Social Security payments can be difficult to understand at first. After all, not all recipients are paid on the same day, and receiving Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, adds another wrinkle to the equation.
September 2025 may raise additional questions for beneficiaries, as Labor Day falls on the first day of the month, Monday, September 1. But don’t worry — with one minor change, the Social Security schedule for September will be exactly the same as usual. Here’s everything you’ll need to know.
Timetable for September 2025 Social Security Payments
According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), there are three different payment dates in each month. The timing of your payment depends on your date of birth, as follows:
Born between the first and the 10th of the month: Payments are made on the second Wednesday of the month.
Born between the 11th and 20th: Payments are made on the third Wednesday of the month.
Born between the 21st and the end of the month: Payments are made on the fourth Wednesday of the month.
For September, that breaks down as follows:
Born first to 10th: Payment on Sept. 10
Born 11th to 20th: Payment on Sept. 17
Born 21st to end of month: Payment on Sept. 24
Calendar Rule Exceptions
The calendar rule for standard Social Security benefits, as described above, is relatively simple. However, like any rule-based system, there are exceptions. In fact, regardless of when they were born, many beneficiaries receive their payments on the third of each month.
According to the SSA, this rule applies to the following types of beneficiaries:
You first received Social Security before May 1997;
You are receiving both Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments;
Your Medicare premiums are paid by the state in which you live;
You live in a foreign country; or
You are a recipient of tax levy case payments, garnished payments, tax levy case payments, or payments made via the critical payment system.
It’s important to note that SSI payments are made on the first of each month. However, in September 2025, the first day of the month coincides with Labor Day.
In this scenario, the SSA pays on the first business day preceding the first of the month. For September, this means that SSI payments were made on Friday, August 29.
Average Social Security Payments in 2025
As of July 2025, the average Social Security retirement payment was $2,006.69, per the SSA. Meanwhile, the average SSI payment for all beneficiaries was $716.09.
Inflation Adjustments for 2026
Every October, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announces the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for benefit payments. According to CNBC, the best estimate for the COLA in 2026 is around 2.7% as of August 2025. This would bring the average monthly retirement benefit up to $2,060.87. The average SSI payment would increase to approximately $735.42.
