SSI Double Payment in December 2025: Why Are Recipients Getting Two Checks? Payment Calendar Explained
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients will notice something unusual in their bank accounts this December: two separate payments. This is not a bonus or a mistake, but a quirk of the calendar. Here is why you are getting a "double check" and what it means for your January budget.
Benefit
The Social Security Administration (SSA) typically issues SSI payments on the first of every month. However, when the first falls on a weekend or a federal holiday, the payment is sent on the preceding business day. December 2025 presents one of these scenarios, leading to two deposits in one month and none in the next.
The "Double Payment" Schedule
Here is how the payments will land in your account:
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December 1, 2025 (Monday): This is your regular payment for the month of December.
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December 31, 2025 (Wednesday): This is your payment for January 2026. Since January 1st is a holiday (New Year's Day), the SSA sends the money a day early.
Budgeting Warning for January
Since the January payment arrives on December 31st, you will NOT receive a check in January 2026.
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Total in December: You get two checks.
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Total in January: You get zero checks.
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Advice: It is crucial to save the second check (received on Dec 31) to cover your rent and bills for January. Do not spend it as a holiday bonus.
Understanding this schedule prevents financial stress in the new year. The next payment after December 31st will not arrive until February 1, 2026.
