Overview
- The Social Security Administration has set the August 2026 payment schedule so that retirement benefits are paid in three waves based on birth date and some SSI payments shifted because August 1 falls on a Saturday.
- SSI recipients with monthly payments due at the start of August saw deposits move to the end of July or early August when the usual first‑of‑the‑month date landed on a weekend.
- The SSA tells beneficiaries to wait three days after the scheduled deposit date and then contact their local Social Security office if a payment does not arrive.
- Recipients began the year with a 2.8% COLA for 2026 and forecasters estimate roughly a 3.6–3.8% COLA for 2027, which would raise monthly checks but not address long‑term funding shortfalls.
- The Social Security trustees project the retirement trust fund could be exhausted by about 2032 unless Congress raises revenue or reduces scheduled benefits, a development that could shrink future payouts if lawmakers do not act.