Some Americans will receive a second check due to the way the calendar falls at the end of the year. This extra payment is an advance for December, designed to ensure that recipients receive their benefits on time when the first of the month falls on a weekend or holiday.
Why the extra payment?
Social Security recipients typically receive one payment per month, but in November 2024, certain individuals will get two. This is not a new occurrence, but it happens due to how weekends and holidays fall at the end of the year. Specifically, people who receive SSI or both Social Security and SSI will receive an extra payment on November 29, which is an advance on their December benefits.
The SSA plans payment schedules well in advance, and whenever the first day of a month lands on a weekend or holiday, payments are issued the Friday before. In this case, December 1 falls on a Sunday, pushing the SSI payment to November 29
Who will receive the extra payment?
The beneficiaries primarily affected by this schedule shift are recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which provides financial assistance to disabled adults and seniors with low income. SSI recipients usually receive their payments on the first of the month. However, when the first falls on a weekend or holiday, the payment is sent earlier. In November, this situation will occur, resulting in two SSI payments: one on November 1 and another on November 29.
Payment dates
Here’s how the schedule will work for SSI beneficiaries and other Social Security recipients in November:
- November 1: SSI recipients will receive their regular November payment. Those who receive both SSI and Social Security will also receive their Social Security payment on this date (instead of November 3, because it falls on a Sunday).
- November 29: SSI recipients will receive their second payment, an advance for December.
For recipients of traditional Social Security retirement benefits who do not receive SSI, payments will follow the usual schedule based on birthdates:
- November 13: Payments for individuals born between the 1st and 10th of the month.
- November 20: Payments for those born between the 11th and 20th.
- November 27: Payments for those born between the 21st and 31st.
What this means for beneficiaries
While the extra payment in November may seem like a bonus, it is simply an adjustment to ensure timely payments around weekends and holidays. This practice is common with SSI payments, where recipients may receive two checks in a single month but will have none the following month. It is important to note that this is not additional income but rather a shift in the payment schedule.
For many recipients, especially those relying on SSI, the early payment can help cover essential expenses ahead of the holiday season, making it a welcomed but predictable financial adjustment. Keep in mind that there will be no SSI payment in December, as that month’s payment will have been received at the end of November.
