10
Loading video...
By Aliss Higham
Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Social Security benefits are paid to millions of Americans each month. This week, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments will be made to relevant beneficiaries across the United States.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a federal benefit program administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA) that provides monthly payments to people with limited income and resources who are elderly, blind, or have a qualifying disability. As of June 2026, there are around 7.3 million Americans collecting this type of benefit.
SSI is not based on a person's work history or the payroll taxes they have paid, and is instead funded through general federal tax revenues and is designed to help recipients pay for basic needs such as food, clothing, and shelter.
Read More on News
To qualify for SSI, applicants must meet financial eligibility rules, including limits on their income and assets, in addition to meeting age or disability requirements. The amount an individual receives each month depends on factors such as their living arrangements and other sources of income.
When Will Payments Be Made?
This week, payments for SSI will arrive on Friday, July 31. This is a day earlier than usual, as SSI benefits are usually paid on the 1st of every month.
"When the first day of the month falls on the weekend or a federal holiday, you receive your SSI payment on the last business day before the first day of the month. That means you may get two SSI payments in the same month," the SSA wrote in a 2022 blog post.
"We do this to avoid putting you at a financial disadvantage and make sure that you don't have to wait beyond the first of the month to get your payment. It does not mean that you are receiving a duplicate payment in the previous month, so you do not need to contact us to report the second payment."
...
How Much Is SSI?
The maximum monthly SSI payment for one person is $994 in 2026. For eligible couples, this is boosted to $1,491.
Further Payment Dates
For those waiting for other types of payments from the SSA, such as retirement, spousal and survivor benefits, these will be made on the following dates:
- August 3, 2026: Beneficiaries who began receiving Social Security before May 1997, or who receive both Social Security and SSI, are paid.
- August 12, 2026: Payments for beneficiaries with birthdays between the 1st and 10th.
- August 19, 2026: Payments for beneficiaries with birthdays between the 11th and 20th.
- August 26, 2026: Payments for beneficiaries with birthdays between the 21st and 31st.
Beneficiaries whose payment does not arrive on its scheduled date should wait three additional mailing days before reporting a missing payment, the SSA advises. Recipients should contact the agency by calling 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) during weekday business hours if the payment does not arrive.
Latest Social Security News
A new analysis from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB), a nonpartisan think tank, has warned that a typical newly retired dual-income couple could lose nearly $17,000 a year in Social Security benefits starting in 2033 if lawmakers fail to address the program's projected funding shortfall.
The analysis assumes the Social Security retirement trust fund is depleted at the end of 2032, in line with current projections from the program's trustees. In recent years, Social Security has been paying out more than it collects, forcing the fund to draw down its reserves.
Under existing law, benefits would automatically be reduced by an estimated 22 percent at that point, since payments cannot exceed incoming payroll tax revenue.
According to the CRFB, Americans who are now 61 years old would reach full retirement age just as those automatic reductions could begin, making them among the first new retirees to experience the cuts if Congress does not enact reforms before the trust fund is exhausted.
The CRFB said Social Security’s insolvency "is no longer a crisis for future lawmakers to deal with; senators elected this year will be in office when Social Security’s retirement fund is exhausted," the report said. "Absent Congressional action, retirees in every state will be impacted. The time to act is now."
What Solutions Are Being Considered?
While there is broad agreement that Congress will need to act before the trust fund's projected depletion, lawmakers and policy experts remain divided over the best approach.
Proposals under discussion include raising or eliminating the cap on earnings subject to Social Security payroll taxes, gradually increasing the full retirement age to reflect longer life expectancies, adjusting the formula used to calculate benefits for future retirees, increasing the payroll tax rate, or adopting a combination of revenue increases and benefit changes.
Some proposals also seek to protect lower-income beneficiaries while asking higher earners to contribute more or receive slower benefit growth. To date, Congress has not reached a bipartisan agreement on a long-term solution.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: John Fitzpatrick and James Debens
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines