No, Social Security recipients won’t get a bonus payment in December

Social Security benefits provide people with an income when they can’t retire or are unable to work due to disability.

These benefit payments typically come on a set date each month. But several VERIFY readers texted us to ask if Social Security recipients will receive a bonus payment in December.

THE QUESTION

Will Social Security recipients receive a bonus payment in December?

THE SOURCES

•  Social Security Administration (SSA)
• AARP

THE ANSWER

No, Social Security recipients will not receive a bonus payment in December. 

WHAT WE FOUND

Social Security payments follow a set schedule every month. Most recipients typically receive their payments on the second, third or fourth Wednesday of each month, depending on their birth date, AARP explains. 

But people who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), such as those who are blind, disabled or at least 65 years old with very limited financial resources, typically get paid on the first of the month. 

This can be a problem if the first falls on a weekend or federal holiday when banks are closed, like it does on Jan. 1, 2024 – New Year’s Day. As a workaround, SSI payments are sent out on the closest previous business day. 

That means SSI recipients will get their January payment on Dec. 29, in addition to the payment they already received on Dec. 1. 

But this second check in December is not a bonus payment. It’s just an advance for January.

Social Security’s 2024 benefits payment schedule is available here.