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We are officially more than halfway through February, and while some people are still enjoying all that winter has to offer, others are already looking ahead toward March. This includes Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients, some of whom are in for quite a surprise regarding their monthly benefits. To learn what’s in store for your March Social Security payments, keep scrolling.
The 2026 Social Security Payment Schedule Is Here! Find Out When You Get Paid!
When it comes to monthly Social Security payments, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has a system. SSI recipients get their checks on the first of the month, and all other Social Security beneficiaries get theirs on a predetermined Wednesday during the month. Sometimes, if those days fall on a federal holiday or a weekend, the SSA will move the payment date earlier in the month.
And that’s exactly what’s happening in March 2026. Since March 1 falls on a Sunday, the SSA will be sending out SSI payments on Friday, February 27. This means SSI recipients will be getting their March check in February, not in March, so they need to budget accordingly.
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For regular Social Security beneficiaries, monthly checks will be issued on the following dates:
If you received Social Security before May 1997 or are receiving both Social Security and SSI, your monthly Social Security benefits—not SSI—will be sent out on March 3.
If you were born on the 1st through the 10th of the month, your benefits will be sent out on Wednesday, March 11.
If you were born on the 11th through the 20th of the month, your benefits will be sent out on Wednesday, March 18.
If you were born on the 21st through the 31st of the month, your benefits will be sent out on Wednesday, March 25.
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As of September 30, 2025, all Social Security and SSI payments are sent via direct deposit. Prior to this, the SSA used to send out physical checks, but that service ended after President Donald Trump signed an executive order in March 2025 requiring all agencies to move to fully digital payments in an effort to stop mail check fraud and theft.
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“There are two key reasons for this change: efficiency and fraud prevention,” Kevin Thompson, the CEO of 9i Capital Group, told Newsweek last year. “Digital payments streamline the distribution process, cut down on mailing costs and reduce the potential for delays or errors, while by using secure electronic payment methods, the SSA can better ensure that benefits are delivered directly to the intended recipients, reducing the risk of theft or misdirected funds.”
