Social Security Recipients Born on the 1st Through the 10th Are Paid Wednesday, Jan. 13, the First Birthday-Group Payday of 2027

The second Wednesday of January 2027 lands on the 13th, and on the printed 2027 calendar from the Social Security Administration, that square marks the first birthday-group payday of the year. Beneficiaries born on the 1st through the 10th of any month are paid that day, according to SSA’s 2027 payment schedule. The deposit carries the 3.6% cost-of-living increase that SSA announced on Oct. 14.

Who Is Paid on the Second Wednesday

SSA staggers most Social Security payments by birth date. Under the 2027 schedule, retirement, survivor and disability beneficiaries born on the 1st through the 10th are paid on the second Wednesday of each month, those born on the 11th through the 20th on the third Wednesday and those born on the 21st through the 31st on the fourth Wednesday. In January 2027, that makes the first group’s date Wednesday, Jan. 13.

The calendar applies to people who started benefits after May 1997 and who do not also receive Supplemental Security Income. Kiplinger’s rundown of the 2027 schedule lists a different path for others: SSI-only recipients, people who get both SSI and Social Security, and those who started Social Security before May 1997 are paid early for January, on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2026, because the first of the month is a holiday.

That early date was covered in an earlier Tonic Edit report on the two groups paid on Dec. 31. Anyone unsure which group applies can sign in to a personal account and choose “View schedule,” according to SSA’s benefit payment schedule page, which says the payment date depends on birthday and the type of benefit.

The distinction matters because the same household can sit in two groups. A married couple with different birth dates, for example, will see two separate paydays in the same month, one for each spouse’s own record. Neither date moves because of the other.

What the 3.6% Cost-of-Living Raise Adds to the Jan. 13 Deposit

SSA announced the 2027 cost-of-living adjustment on Wednesday, Oct. 14. In its announcement bulletin, the agency said the 3.6% increase amounts to about $75 more per month in the average retirement benefit. Commissioner Frank Bisignano said the adjustment will support 76 million Americans.

The timing trips up many households. SSA’s explanation of the latest adjustment says the increase applies “beginning with the December 2026 benefits, which are payable in January 2027.” Social Security is paid a month in arrears, so the check that arrives on Jan. 13 is the first for this group at the higher amount.

The percentage applies to each person’s own benefit, so the dollar change varies. As an illustration only, a $2,000 monthly benefit would rise by $72 at 3.6%. The agency’s $75 figure is an average across retirees, and individual amounts differ.

Other groups see different averages. Earlier Tonic Edit reports put the average disability check at $1,701 starting with January payments, up from $1,642, and the average check for widows and widowers living alone at $2,005, up from $1,936.

SSI works on a different track. The same SSA bulletin said about 7.3 million SSI recipients will see higher payments starting Dec. 31, 2026. People who receive both SSI and Social Security get the SSI increase at the end of December and the Social Security increase through their January Social Security deposit.

The percentage itself comes from consumer prices. SSA’s page says it is based on the average of the third-quarter CPI-W, 328.746 in 2026 compared with 317.265 in 2025.

The Rest of January’s Dates, From Dec. 31 to Jan. 27

January has a run of paydays rather than one. According to the SSA schedule, the sequence for most beneficiaries is:

• Thursday, Dec. 31, 2026: SSI, and Social Security for people who receive both or started before May 1997 (the early January date reported by Kiplinger).
• Wednesday, Jan. 13: birth dates 1 through 10.
• Wednesday, Jan. 20: birth dates 11 through 20.
• Wednesday, Jan. 27: birth dates 21 through 31.

The next month follows the same rhythm. SSA’s calendar shows February SSI on Monday, Feb. 1, pre-May-1997 Social Security on Wednesday, Feb. 3, and the 1st-through-10th group on Wednesday, Feb. 10. The 11th-through-20th group is paid Feb. 17 and the 21st-through-31st group Feb. 24. For the middle group, an earlier Tonic Edit story on the 11th-through-20th payday covers the dates that follow.

What to Do if the Jan. 13 Payment Does Not Arrive

SSA’s own guidance is to wait before calling. The printed schedule says that if a payment does not arrive on the expected date, “please allow three additional mailing days before contacting Social Security.”

For direct deposit, SSA’s page on reporting a missing payment adds an earlier step: contact the bank or financial institution first, because the bank may be delayed in posting the deposit. If the money is still missing, the agency says to call its toll-free line at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or contact a local Social Security office. If the payment was due, SSA says it replaces it.

The SSA payment-schedule page also lists a phone option: calling the same number at any time, in English or Spanish, and saying “check delivery” when prompted. Having the expected date, the bank’s posting time and the benefit type on hand speeds up either call.

Get stories like this by email. Sign up for The Parent Diaries Letter.

This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.

Image: Claudio Elias – Public domain/Wikimedia Commons