Social Security Payout September 16: Who’s Getting Paid Today and the 2027 COLA Forecast | Today’s news
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is distributing the next round of Social Security payments on Wednesday (September 16, 2026), with recipients whose birthdays fall between the 11th and 20th of the month scheduled to receive payments.
The SSA distributes payments on different Wednesdays throughout the month based on recipients’ dates of birth. However, some recipients follow a separate schedule depending on when they started receiving benefits or whether they also receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Social Security payment dates September 2026
The key payment dates for September are:
September 1: SSI payments.
September 3: Recipients who received Social Security before May 1997, as well as people receiving both Social Security and SSI.
September 9: Recipients with birthdays from 1 to 10
September 16: Recipients with birthdays between 11 and 20
September 23: Recipients with birthdays from the 21st to the 31st.
Anyone who hasn’t received an expected payment should check with their financial institution first, according to the SSA. The agency recommends waiting three additional postal days before reporting a missing payment.
What Social Security benefits are available?
Social Security provides several types of benefits, depending on a person’s circumstances.
Pension benefits: Monthly payments are based on lifetime earnings. Generally, eligibility requires being at least 62 years old and having worked and paid Social Security taxes for at least 10 years.
Disability benefits: These benefits are available to qualifying disabled or blind individuals who have sufficient work history.
Survivor benefits: Some family members of a person who worked and paid Social Security taxes before their death may be eligible. Eligible family members may include spouses, ex-spouses, children, and dependent parents.
Family benefits: Some spouses, ex-spouses, children and some grandchildren of people receiving old-age or disability benefits may be eligible.
SSI: Supplemental Security Income provides monthly payments to people with little or no income and resources who are disabled, blind, or over 65.
The amount of SSI payments varies depending on factors including income, living conditions, and resources. Recipients must also report changes in wages, other income, resources and living conditions each month.
Social Security COLA 2027: Forecast shows 3.5% increase
Attention also turns to the 2027 Social Security Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA).
Current projections put the 2027 COLA at around 3.5% to 3.6%, according to the information provided. The official modification should be announced on October 14, 2026.
The final COLA is calculated using the Consumer Price Index for Urban and Administrative Workers (CPI-W). The calculation compares the CPI-W average for the third quarter – July, August and September – with the corresponding third quarter average from the previous year.
The final number will determine how much Social Security and SSI payments will increase in 2027.
Read also | US Social Security COLA for 2027 could see 3.5%-3.6% increase, groups estimate
