SSDI beneficiaries face another confusing payout day as the Social Security system continues its December schedule. Many long-term disability recipients still struggle to track when checks arrive because SSDI payments follow a different pattern than regular Social Security retirement benefits, and today brings yet another split date in the calendar.
For December 3, 2025, the Social Security Administration is sending a specific group of SSDI, retirement and survivor recipients their monthly check. And although the program has a strict calendar, millions still search daily for “SSDI December 3 payment,” “SSDI today,” or “who gets SSDI this week,” trying to understand if they are included. Today’s batch covers one of the smallest but oldest groups under the SSDI and retirement system.
SSDI beneficiaries receiving their December 3 payment
The SSA is issuing payments today to people who have been on Social Security long before the agency switched to the modern staggered schedule. Anyone who started collecting retirement benefits, SSDI disability checks or survivor payments before May 1997 receives their deposit today.
This same rule applies if a person receives SSI at the same time as SSDI or retirement benefits. When someone combines SSDI with Supplemental Security Income, both payments fall on the early-month schedule instead of the later birth-date system. SSI deposits for these recipients went out on December 1 as part of next month’s advance cycle.
The December 3 deposit does not depend on birthdays, work history length or income. It is strictly tied to when someone first entered the Social Security system as a beneficiary.
How much SSDI, retirement and survivor beneficiaries receive in December
The latest SSA update shows that retired workers receive an average of $2,009.50 a month. This figure is based on the most recent finalized data available, which covers September. A delay in federal reporting temporarily affected newer releases, but benefit levels themselves remain accurate.
Disabled workers under SSDI are currently receiving an average monthly benefit of $1,584.46. Survivor beneficiaries, who often fall under mixed eligibility rules, receive around $1,575.61 a month on average. These amounts do not include SSI add-ons or state supplements.
SSI beneficiaries, separate from SSDI, receive an average of $717.20 per month. For individuals who qualify for the maximum SSI rate, the cap reaches $967 per month, while eligible couples can receive up to $1,450 monthly.
COLA increase coming in January 2026
The SSA has confirmed a 2.8% increase for all major benefit groups starting in January 2026. For someone on retirement benefits, this translates into an average monthly raise of about $56. SSDI and survivor recipients will see proportional increases based on their individual award amount.
Aside from the early-month SSDI group paid on December 3, most beneficiaries receive their December payment according to the regular Wednesday pattern:
- Birthdays on the 1st–10th: December 10
- Birthdays on the 11th–20th: December 17
- Birthdays on the 21st–31st: December 24
This applies to nearly all modern SSDI, retirement and survivor beneficiaries who began receiving payments after May 1997. The SSA no longer issues paper checks in most situations. Payments are sent electronically, either by direct deposit or onto an approved electronic payment card. This move is meant to reduce delays and cut processing times, especially during months with holidays—like December.
In summary, today’s payment run affects only long-term SSDI, survivor and retirement recipients whose benefits began before May 1997 or who receive SSI alongside another Social Security benefit. Everyone else follows the mid-month Wednesday schedule.