Social Security August 2026 Payments: Who Gets Paid Aug. 19 and Aug. 26
As of August 14, 2026, one of the three regular August Social Security payment dates has passed and two remain. For most retirement, survivor and disability beneficiaries, the payment date is tied to the birth date of the person whose earnings record supports the benefit.
The remaining regular Wednesday payment dates are August 19, 2026, and August 26, 2026. The schedule determines when a payment is due; it does not change the benefit amount or Medicare coverage.
August 2026 payment calendar
- August 12, 2026: Beneficiaries with a relevant birth date from the 1st through the 10th. This second-Wednesday payment date has passed.
- August 19, 2026: Beneficiaries with a relevant birth date from the 11th through the 20th. This is the third-Wednesday payment date.
- August 26, 2026: Beneficiaries with a relevant birth date from the 21st through the 31st. This is the fourth-Wednesday payment date.
The relevant birth date is generally the date of the person whose work record supports the benefit. For example, a spouse’s benefit may use the worker’s birth date rather than the recipient’s date of birth.
Who follows the Wednesday schedule?
The second-, third- and fourth-Wednesday schedule generally applies to Social Security retirement, survivor and disability benefits for people who applied after April 30, 1997. The applicable group is based on the birth date tied to the benefit record.
Several groups follow different dates:
- People who receive only Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, are generally paid on the first day of the month.
- People who receive both SSI and Social Security generally receive SSI on the first and Social Security on the third.
- People who received or applied for Social Security benefits on or before April 30, 1997, generally receive Social Security on the third of the month rather than under the Wednesday schedule.
Beneficiaries in one of these groups should use the applicable schedule rather than assuming the August 19 or August 26 date applies.
What happens when a payment date falls on a weekend or holiday?
If a scheduled payment date falls on a Saturday, Sunday or legal public holiday, the Social Security Administration pays the benefit on the preceding business day. That adjustment can make a payment arrive earlier than the standard date for that month.
What to do if a payment is missing
A payment should not be considered late simply because it has not appeared early in a bank account. Start with the official scheduled date for the applicable benefit category.
If the payment is electronic, SSA advises recipients to contact their bank or financial institution first. The institution may be experiencing a delay in posting the deposit.
For a mailed payment, SSA says to allow three additional mailing days before contacting the agency. If the payment still has not arrived after that period, report the missing payment to SSA.
How to check your payment date
Beneficiaries can review upcoming and past payment dates through SSA’s online benefit-payment schedule service. Automated phone assistance is also available; when using the automated system, say “check delivery.”
For direct assistance, call 1-800-772-1213. The TTY number is 1-800-325-0778.
For most beneficiaries, the key remaining August dates are August 19, 2026, for relevant birth dates from the 11th through the 20th, and August 26, 2026, for relevant birth dates from the 21st through the 31st. Anyone receiving SSI, both SSI and Social Security, or benefits covered by the older-claim rule should use the separate schedule instead.
Sources
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