For many Americans relying on Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), the December payment schedule can be confusing.
You may wonder whether you get a “Christmas bonus” or when your benefit will arrive around the holiday.
The SSA does not issue a special “Christmas bonus” or extra Social Security benefit just because of the holidays.
But holiday calendars and payment rules can shift when beneficiaries receive their December or January checks.
We’ll walk through how the schedule works, important adjustment rules, and what to expect in December 2025.
When are Social Security retirement, disability, or survivor payments scheduled in December 2025?
Social Security benefits (retirement, disability, survivor) are paid monthly, usually on Wednesdays, depending on the beneficiary’s birth date.
Here is the breakdown:
- Birthdays on the 1st–10th: payment on the second Wednesday of the month
- Birthdays on the 11th–20th: payment on the third Wednesday
- Birthdays on the 21st–31st: payment on the fourth Wednesday
If that Wednesday falls on a federal holiday, or the date is affected by Christmas (or another holiday), the SSA will pay on the preceding business day rather than on a weekend or holiday.
In December 2025, the fourth Wednesday falls on Christmas Day, so the payment will be made a day earlier, on Tuesday, December 24.
So depending on your birth date group:
- If you are in the fourth-Wednesday group, your December 2025 benefit will land on December 24, rather than December 25 (which is a holiday).
- If you are in the second- or third-Wednesday groups, your benefit likely comes as usual (on the regular Wednesday) unless that falls on a holiday.
How do SSI (Supplemental Security Income) payments get affected around Christmas?
SSI payments are normally delivered on the first of each month via direct deposit or other means.
But if the first lands on a weekend or federal holiday, SSA pushes the payment to the previous business day.
In 2025, for the January SSI payment, the first of January is a federal holiday (New Year’s Day).
So SSA will issue that SSI check on December 31, 2025, instead of January 1.
Because of that shift, some people will see two SSI payments in December: one for December (sent on December 1) and one early for January (sent on December 31).
That said, SSA emphasizes this is not a bonus or extra benefit; it is simply a timing adjustment so recipients are not delayed by the holiday.
Is there ever a true bonus around Christmas for Social Security recipients?
No. The SSA does not provide a “Christmas bonus,” stimulus, or extra Social Security payment for the holidays.
Officially, any extra deposit you see in December or near January is a result of calendar adjustments, not additional benefits.
Any shifted payments are re-timing, not extra money. The total annual benefit does not increase because of these adjustments.
What if my regular payment date is changed due to Christmas or holidays?
If your regular payment date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or federal holiday, SSA pays on the preceding business day.
In December, because Christmas is a holiday, the normal fourth-Wednesday group’s benefit is moved earlier to Tuesday, December 24.
If you also receive SSI and your first of the month falls on a holiday, that may shift to the previous day (as in the January/December case above).
Will the 2025 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) affect my December check?
Yes, the 2025 COLA is 2.5%, and it is already in effect starting January 2025 payments.
But December 2025’s benefit is tied to your benefit rate for January 2025 (i.e., the adjusted amount).
So your December check will reflect the increased benefit amount (with a 2.5% raise) for that year.
What if I receive both Social Security and SSI?
If you receive both Social Security (retirement, disability, or survivors) and SSI, the payment schedules may differ.
For example, Social Security benefits follow the Wednesday calendar schedule, while SSI is pegged to the 1st of the month.
Around the holiday period, your SSI may shift (for example, the January SSI paid December 31) while your Social Security benefit might shift because of Christmas (e.g., payment moved to December 24).
Because of that, in December 2025, you may see two SSI payments but only one Social Security payment (though the Social Security one may be a shifted date).
And in January, you might see no SSI payment (since it was already paid on December 31).
