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May 2026 Social Security payments begin May 1 who gets paid first and on which Wednesdays
International
Published on 28 April 2026
Three Wednesdays determine who gets paid next
May 2026 Social Security payments start May 1, since the date lands on a working Friday, keeping the schedule steady. After the initial May 1 SSI check, the calendar moves through retirement, SSDI, and survivor benefits using a birth-date system split across three Wednesdays.
- May 1 is a working Friday, so payments start on time
- After SSI, retirement, SSDI, and survivor benefits follow
- A birth-date schedule spreads payments over three Wednesdays
- The calendar is designed for predictability month to month
Read the full story at The Economic Times
This summarization was done by Beige for a story published on 
The Economic Times