SSI beneficiaries receive double payments in October due to calendar quirk

A quirk in the fall calendar means some Social Security recipients will get two benefit payments in October. However, they aren’t receiving an extra payment.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) ordinarily disburses payments for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) on the first of a given month. The SSI program provides monthly payments to eligible older adults who have little or no income, as well as to disabled individuals, which is different from Social Security’s standard retirement benefits.

When the first of the month falls on a weekend or a federal holiday, SSI payments for that month are made on the last business day of the preceding month to ensure that beneficiaries have received their funds before the new month begins, and they face potential expenses.

Due to the way the 2025 calendar falls, two SSI payments will go out in the month of October – one payment went out on Oct. 1 for October’s benefits, while the second payment will go out on Friday, Oct. 31 for the month of November’s benefits.

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SSI payments are typically made via direct deposit, though beneficiaries without bank accounts or who want to receive the funds through a different mechanism can get them on Direct Express cards. 

SSA moved to discontinue paper checks at the end of September following a Trump administration order earlier this year that mandated all federal payments transition to electronic transfers, such as direct deposit to bank accounts or transfers to debit cards.

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Data from the SSA showed that as of September, more than 68 million Americans around the country were receiving Social Security benefits. Of that figure, around 390,000, or about 0.6%, were receiving paper checks.

The SSA website offers methods by which beneficiaries can enroll in direct deposit through the My Social Security platform, or by phone through either the SSA or the Treasury Department’s electronic payment solution center. 

Beneficiaries may also enroll in person by visiting their financial institution.

FOX Business’ Sophia Compton contributed to this report.