Over 70 million Americans receive Social Security payments each month, with the final Jan. 2026 distribution scheduled for Jan. 28.
Beneficiaries rely heavily on these payments to cover basic living costs related to retirement, disabilities, diseases, and other necessities. According to reports from Newsweek, millions of citizens will receive their monthly payments according to their registered dates of birth.
However, they will receive a boost in their payments as the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) will provide them with a 2.8% increase in their payments. Though the growth percentage may seem minimal, it is immensely important for the masses, who rely on these funds to sustain themselves in the United States.
The average Social Security benefit is about $1,800 a month.
During a cost of living crisis, $1,800 is NOT enough for hardworking Americans to enjoy a secure retirement.
— Social Security Works ❌👑 (@SSWorks) December 29, 2025
The retirement check is calculated based on the person’s earning history, the age at which they begin collecting, and the year they started filing, with no ‘universal maximum benefit.’ Hence, if a person has filed their taxes every year from the age of 22 and claimed this benefit in 2026, it would result in different amounts depending on the claiming age.
If a person claims benefits at age 62, they would receive around $2,969 per month. On the other hand, if a person filed after their retirement age, they would receive a monthly benefit of $4,152. Whereas if you decide to wait until the age of 70, the amount to be received per month would be approximately $5,181.
Though this progressive design was made to ensure that the SSA beneficiaries are heavily supported, it still proves to be causing inequality in the program. After all, the maximum monetary compensation of $5,181 is a far-fetched dream for people in the professions of teaching, teller, or construction.
Attention, please:
If you choose to receive Social Security early, you take a hit on that payment.
The government decides what retirement age is for us and then punishes us with lesser payments if we don’t agree.
They take money from us our entire lives, call it “security,”…
— Gina (@GinaSaysSo) January 15, 2026
Because payments are scheduled based on their dates of birth, beneficiaries with dates ranging from the 21st to the 31st will receive their payment on January 28, 2026. The SSA explains,
“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.”
They further explained that they do this to avoid the citizens being at a monetary “disadvantage.” This ensures beneficiaries avoid delays in receiving their payments. Additionally, they mentioned it to clarify any misunderstanding of “duplicate payment” from the previous month and minimize the need to report such payments.
