While millions of retired Americans will soon see a 2.5% cost-of-living increase in their Social Security benefits, extra Social Security checks could be in the mail before November, thanks to a calendar quirk.

Typically, Supplemental Security Income recipients receive their checks on the first of each month, but in November a second check will also arrive at the end of the month.

This is due to the rule that if the first of the month falls on a holiday or weekend, checks are delivered on the previous weekday.

In December, the first of the month falls on a Sunday, meaning checks for the month of December will instead be delivered on November 29, according to the Social Security Administration calendar.

However, that does not mean that checks will not take place in December.

A similar calendar quirk will actually affect check delivery for each month through March, with each start of the month falling on a holiday or weekend.

For January, the checks are actually delivered on December 31st. For February, checks will be delivered on January 31st and for March, checks will be delivered on February 28th.

No checks will then be delivered in March before the situation returns to normal in April.

Social Security 2025 cost of living increases

The Social Security Administration announced on October 10 that millions of retired Americans will soon see a 2.5% cost-of-living adjustment for benefits.

The cost of living adjustment, or COLA, for retirees translates into an average increase of more than $50 for retirees each month, agency officials said.

About 72.5 million people, including pensioners, disabled people and children, receive social security benefits.

Overall, the increase is smaller than in recent years.

Recipients received a 3.2% increase in benefits in 2024, following a historically large 8.7% increase in benefits in 2023, due to record 40-year high inflation.

The AARP estimates that a 2.5 percent COLA would increase the average benefit for a retiree receiving about $1,920 per month by $48 per month starting in January 2025.

The program is funded by payroll taxes collected from employees and their employers. The maximum amount of income subject to Social Security payroll taxes was $168,600 for 2024, up from $160,200 in 2023. Analysts estimate the maximum amount will rise to $174,900 by 2025.