SSA Releases September 2026 Payment Dates for 74 Million Beneficiaries

Q: With a higher 2027 COLA projected, how much will rising Medicare premiums secretly devour from your upcoming Social Security checks?

A higher 2027 COLA is likely to be trimmed, not wiped out, by Medicare Part B. Using the most cited projections, the standard Part B premium would rise from $202.90 in 2026 to about $209.50 in 2027, a $6.60 monthly increase. If the 2027 Social Security COLA lands near 3.8%, as The Senior Citizens League projects, a retiree with a $2,000 monthly benefit would get about $76 more per month. After the projected $6.60 Part B increase, the net gain would be about $69.40. In that example, Medicare would consume roughly 8.7% of the COLA increase. Using the current average benefit produces a similar result. A 3.8% COLA on an average monthly check around $2,082.76 would add about $79.14. Subtract the projected $6.60 Part B increase, and the net increase is about $72.54, meaning Medicare would absorb about 8.3% of the raise. The hit could be larger if the final Part B premium comes in above the trustees’ estimate. Some private forecasts put the 2027 premium closer to $216 to $219 a month, though those are not official. Final Medicare premiums are typically announced in the fall, after the Social Security Administration announces the official COLA on Oct. 14. For higher-income beneficiaries, the effect can be much bigger because IRMAA surcharges on Part B and Part D can add hundreds of dollars a month. For most beneficiaries paying the standard rate, though, the current evidence suggests Medicare may quietly eat about $6.60 a month from next year’s bigger Social Security raise.

3 articles · Updated · Clarion Ledger · Aug 25

Sept. 1 is the SSI payment date for September 2026, while regular Social Security checks will go out on Sept. 9, 16 and 23 based on beneficiaries’ birth dates.
Nearly 74 million people receive Social Security or SSI, and the SSA posts the calendar in advance so recipients can plan around its standard Wednesday schedule.
Oct. 30 is the next early SSI payment date because Nov. 1 falls on a weekend; SSI checks also will go out early again on Dec. 31 for January 2027.
People who receive both SSI and Social Security will get three payments in October and December, as a regular SSI check and a regular Social Security payment are followed by the next month’s SSI sent early.
Oct. 14 is when the SSA is expected to announce the 2027 cost-of-living adjustment, with the current estimate at 3.4% versus a historical average of 2.6%.