Around 74 million Americans rely on Social Security benefits, and another seven million on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to help cover their monthly expenses. As the holiday season approaches, the payment schedule is particularly relevant for retirees, people with disabilities, and low-income households. December is also a month with several exceptions to the usual payment schedule, and this year, many beneficiaries will receive two payments due to the distribution of federal holidays.

Here’s everything you need to know about Social Security and SSI payment dates for December and early 2026.

Who is eligible for Social Security payments?

In order to be eligible for Social Security retirement benefits, individuals must generally meet the following criteria:

• Be at least 62 years old.
• Have contributed to Social Security for at least 10 years, which is determined by a credit system.
• Some individuals may be eligible for these benefits due to disability, the death of a spouse or family member, or other family-related reasons.

Full retirement age ranges from 66 to 67. Those who continue to work after age 62 may have part of their benefits withheld if their earnings exceed the annual limit before reaching full retirement age. Creating an online account on the Social Security website allows users to check their eligibility and the estimated amount of their benefits based on their age at application.

When is Social Security paid in December 2025?

Most Social Security payments follow a simple rule: they are issued on Wednesdays, and the exact date depends on the beneficiary’s birthday. This schedule applies during the month of December this year:

• December 10: Birthdays from the 1st to the 10th
• December 17: Birthdays from the 11th to the 20th
• December 24: Birthdays from the 21st to the 31st

There is only one major exception. Those who began receiving their benefits before 1997 are paid on a fixed date each month, rather than according to their birthdays. That group receives their payment on December 3.

Two payments for SSI recipients

SSI benefits are issued independently of Social Security payments. They are intended for people over 65, individuals who are blind or disabled (including children), with limited income and resources.

SSI is usually paid on the first day of each month, but when that date falls on a weekend or federal holiday, it is moved to the previous business day. Because January 1 is a federal holiday, the January SSI payment will be deposited on December 31, so beneficiaries will receive two checks this month, as follows.

• December 1: Regular December SSI payment
• December 31: Early January payment

This is not a bonus or additional benefit, it simply occurs due to the date adjustment. Something similar will happen in 2026 in January, February, July, August, October, and December.

How much will COLA increase in 2026?

The December payments are the last checks before the 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) takes effect in 2026. Starting with the SSI advance payment on December 31, beneficiaries will see their first increased amount.

For the average retiree, this COLA equates to approximately $56 more per month. The increase applies to all programs administered by the SSA, including retirement, disability, and SSI.

SSI payment dates for January 2026

The regular Wednesday schedule continues into the new year:

• January 14: Birthdays from the 1st to the 10th
• January 21: Birthdays from the 11th to the 20th
• January 28: Birthdays from the 21st to the 31st

Those who began receiving benefits before May 1997 will receive their January 2026 Social Security check on January 2.

If the scheduled payment date has passed and a person has not yet received their check, the Social Security Administration recommends waiting three business days before contacting them.

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The draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will determine the matches to be played during the tournament — to be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada — will take place in Washington, D.C. Originally, the event was to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada, as it was in 1994, according to reports. However, plans changed after U.S. President Donald Trump intervened and asked Gianni Infantino, FIFA president, to move the event to the nation’s capital.

The unexpected friendship between Trump and Infantino has caused controversy, not only because of the change of venue for the draw, but also because the FIFA leader has been accused of violating the rules on neutrality that the organization must follow. In addition, he recently announced the creation of a “FIFA peace award,” which will be presented on the same day that the teams competing in the most important tournament in global soccer will be decided. Infantino has not maintained the same relationship with the leaders of the other organizing nations, who will also be present at the draw.

When and at what time is the FIFA draw?

On December 5, 2025, the draw will be held to determine the groups for the 2026 World Cup. On that day, the teams will find out who their rivals are and their path to the final, which will be played on July 19, 2026, in New York–New Jersey. One day later, on December 6, the updated schedule will be published with the stadium and time for each match.

The draw will take place at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., at 12:00 p.m. ET, and at the following times across the United States:

Central Time (CT): 11:00 a.m.

Mountain Time (MT): 10:00 a.m.

Pacific Time (PT): 9:00 a.m.

Alaska Time (AKT): 8:00 a.m.

Hawaii–Aleutian Time (HAT): 7:00 a.m.

Which artists will be performing?

As part of the event, there will be a concert featuring global acts such as the Village People (who will open the show with their hit YMCA, a favorite of Trump’s during his presidential campaign), Britain’s Robbie Williams, and opera icon Andrea Bocelli.

The show will be co-hosted by model Heidi Klum, comedian Kevin Hart, and actor Danny Ramirez.

How does the draw work

The four pots for the draw have been decided for the 48 teams (six of which are still to be decided in the intercontinental and European playoffs). The host countries — Canada, Mexico, and the United States — will be in Pot 1, along with the nine highest-ranked teams in the FIFA rankings on November 19, 2025.

The other qualified teams will be distributed among pots 2, 3, and 4 according to the same ranking. In addition, the two teams that emerge from the intercontinental playoffs and the four that come from the European playoffs in March 2026 will be placed in pot 4.

The name of each country is printed on a piece of paper, which is then folded and placed inside a plastic ball numbered 1 to 4 to represent one of the four pots. The draw representatives mix the balls in large glass bowls and then draw one ball from each to form the groups.

The draw process is simple. First, the teams in pot 1 are assigned to groups A through L, with fixed positions already established for the hosts: Mexico will be A1, Canada B1, and the United States D1, each represented by a different colored ball. The other nine teams in pot 1 will automatically occupy position 1 in their groups. Then, the teams from pots 2, 3, and 4 are drawn in order, according to the allocation pattern defined by FIFA.

Several restrictions apply to maintain the balance of the tournament. The four highest-ranked teams — Spain, Argentina, France, and England — will be distributed across two different paths to the semifinals to prevent them from facing each other before the final if they all win their groups. Confederation rules also apply: there can only be one team per confederation in each group, except in the case of UEFA, which can have up to two per group. The same restrictions apply to teams coming from the playoffs.

The event will also mark the first time that Donald Trump and his Mexican counterpart Claudia Sheinbaum will meet face to face. Despite initial tensions, they have defined their relationship through pragmatism and cordial and respectful bilateral dialogue. To date, they have held at least six direct telephone calls, focusing on key issues such as migration, trade, border security, and the fight against drug trafficking.

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La familia del abogado Rafael Tudares, yerno del líder opositor Edmundo González Urrutia, —quién reclama la victoria de las elecciones presidenciales del año pasado y ha denunciado un fraude electoral— ha denunciado este martes que fue condenado a 30 años de prisión por “terrorismo” “asociación para delinquir” y “conspiración”.

Junto a Tudares, también fue sentenciado a 20 años de cárcel, con acusaciones similares, Luis Guillermo Istúriz, dirigente del partido Vente Venezuela en el estado Miranda.

Tudares, de 45 años, sin actividad política conocida, está casado con Mariana González, hija de Edmundo González Urrutia. La pareja tiene dos hijos, de seis y siete años. Fue arrestado por la policía política el 7 de enero de este año, mientras los llevaba al colegio. No se supo de su paradero durante 40 días.

“En horas de la noche, he tenido conocimiento de la condena que se le habría impuesto a mi esposo, Rafael Tudares Bracho, a 30 años de prisión”, ha escrito Mariana González, esposa de Tudares, en su cuenta de la red social X. González, que refiere a fuentes “extra-oficiales” denunció que la sentencia se hizo efectiva “en un juicio hecho clandestinamente”. Ha dicho además que la familia lleva 11 meses sin verlo.

Tudares fue sentenciado con mucha rapidez por el Tribunal Tercero de Juicio con competencia especial en materia contra el terrorismo, a cargo de la jueza Alejandra Romero. José Vicente Haro, abogado defensor de Tudares, manifestó no haber tenido acceso al expediente judicial y desconocer los detalles de la sentencia.

El arresto de Tudares, a comienzos de este año, tuvo lugar en medio de las fuertes tensiones políticas entre el gobierno de Nicolás Maduro y el liderazgo opositor venezolano, representado por González Urrutia y María Corina Machado, a causa de la inconformidad existente en amplias capas de la sociedad venezolana sobre la validez del resultado electoral de julio de 2024.

En enero de 2025, cuando Nicolás Maduro estaba a punto de tomar posesión para un tercer período presidencial, las denuncias de fraude de la oposición al gobierno de Maduro, y en general al régimen chavista, estaban en su punto más alto.

Tanto Machado como González Urrutia —que salió al exilio en agosto de 2024— impugnaban la legitimidad de Maduro y llamaron a la población a protestar en las calles, mientras parte importante de la comunidad democrática internacional cuestionaba la limpieza del resultado anunciado por el Consejo Nacional Electoral.

Frente a estas demandas y presiones, el gobierno de Nicolás Maduro respondió con una dura andanada represiva, denunciando el desarrollo de una conspiración para desconocer el resultado electoral, la Constitución y fomentar la anarquía en las calles.

La respuesta del régimen chavista a las demandas de la oposición fue particularmente virulenta, sobre todo, luego de que el comando de campaña de la oposición (llamado Comando con Venezuela), dirigido por María Corina Machado, lograra escanear la casi totalidad de las actas de votación que las autoridades electorales se habían negado a mostrar en medio de aquella polémica.

Las actas, de acuerdo a la versión de la oposición, documentaron una cómoda victoria de González Urrutia sobre Maduro. Más de mil personas fueron llevadas directamente a la cárcel por participar en aquellas protestas.

“Mi abogado y yo estaremos acudiendo ante las autoridades correspondientes a solicitar la información oficial pertinente, a pesar de los grandes obstáculos y barreras que se nos han impuesto para obtener información sobre el caso, y defender los derechos de Rafael”, ha declarado Mariana González.