Social Security September 16 payment: Who gets paid today, and 2027 COLA forecast

Social Security provides several types of benefits depending on a person's circumstances.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) is distributing another round of Social Security payments on Wednesday (September 16, 2026), with beneficiaries whose birthdays fall between the 11th and 20th of the month scheduled to receive their payments.

The SSA distributes payments on different Wednesdays during the month based on beneficiaries' birth dates. However, some recipients follow a separate schedule depending on when they began receiving benefits or whether they also receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

Social Security September 2026 payment dates

The key payment dates for September are:

September 1: SSI payments.

September 3: Beneficiaries who received Social Security before May 1997, as well as people receiving both Social Security and SSI.

September 9: Beneficiaries with birthdays from the 1st through the 10th.

September 16: Beneficiaries with birthdays from the 11th through the 20th.

September 23: Beneficiaries with birthdays from the 21st through the 31st.

Anyone who has not received an expected payment should first check with their financial institution, according to the SSA. The agency advises waiting three additional mailing 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.

Retirement benefits: Monthly payments are based on lifetime earnings. Generally, eligibility requires being at least 62 and having worked and paid Social Security taxes for at least 10 years.

Disability benefits: These are available to people with a qualifying disability or blindness who have sufficient work history.

Survivor benefits: Certain family members of a person who worked and paid Social Security taxes before their death may qualify. Eligible family members can include spouses, ex-spouses, children and dependent parents.

Family benefits: Certain spouses, ex-spouses, children and some grandchildren of people receiving Retirement or Disability benefits may qualify.

SSI: Supplemental Security Income provides monthly payments to people with little or no income and resources who are disabled, blind or age 65 and older.

SSI payment amounts vary depending on factors including income, living arrangements and resources. Recipients must also report changes in wages, other income, resources and living arrangements each month.

Social Security COLA 2027: Forecast points to 3.5% increase

Attention is also turning 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 adjustment is expected to be announced on October 14, 2026.

The final COLA is calculated using the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). The calculation compares the average CPI-W for the third quarter — July, August and September — with the corresponding third-quarter average from the previous year.

The final figure will determine how much Social Security and SSI payments increase in 2027.

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