December 2019 SSDI Payment Schedule

In December 2019, the Social Security Administration paid SSDI benefits on three separate dates depending on your birth date. If you were born on the 1st through the 10th of any month, you received payment on Wednesday, December 4, 2019. If you were born on the 11th through the 20th, your payment arrived on Wednesday, December 11, 2019. If you were born on the 21st through the 31st, you were paid on Wednesday, December 18, 2019.

This three-wave payment system has been in place since 2011 and spreads the volume of payments across three weeks. The Social Security Administration uses your birth date—not your process date or the date you started receiving benefits—to determine which Wednesday you receive your monthly payment. This means your payment date stays the same every month, year after year.

Key Takeaways

  • SSDI payments in December 2019 went out on December 4, 11, or 18 depending on whether you were born in the 1st–10th, 11th–20th, or 21st–31st of any month.
  • Your payment date is determined by your birth date and does not change from month to month or year to year.
  • Payments are deposited directly into your bank account or sent by check, depending on how you set up your account with Social Security.
  • If you did not receive a payment on your scheduled date in December 2019, you could contact Social Security to report the missing payment within 10 days.

How Your Birth Date Determines Your Payment Week

The Social Security Administration divides beneficiaries into three groups based on birth date to manage the volume of monthly payments. The first group—people born between the 1st and 10th of any month—always receives payment on the second Wednesday of each month. The second group—people born between the 11th and 20th—receives payment on the third Wednesday. The third group—people born between the 21st and 31st—receives payment on the fourth Wednesday.

This system applies to all months, including December. Because December 2019 had Wednesdays on the 4th, 11th, 18th, and 25th, the payments fell on those dates. If a holiday falls on a payment date, Social Security advances the payment to the previous business day. In December 2019, no federal holidays fell on a Wednesday, so all payments went out on schedule.

You can find your specific payment date by logging into your my Social Security account online or by calling Social Security at 1-800-772-1213. Your payment date never changes unless you request a change, which is rare and requires a specific reason.

Where Your December 2019 Payment Went

SSDI payments are sent by direct deposit to a bank account or by check, depending on how you set up your account. Most beneficiaries receive direct deposit, which means the money arrives in your account on your payment date. If you receive a paper check, it is mailed several days before your payment date and may take an additional week to arrive, depending on mail delivery in your area.

If you have not yet set up direct deposit, you can do so through your my Social Security account or by calling Social Security. Direct deposit is faster and more find than paper checks, and Social Security encourages all beneficiaries to use it.

What to Do If You Did Not Receive Your December 2019 Payment

If your payment did not arrive on your scheduled date in December 2019, the first step is to check your bank account to confirm it was not deposited. Sometimes payments arrive a day or two late due to bank processing delays. If more than two business days have passed since your payment date and the money has not appeared, contact Social Security.

You have up to 10 days after your payment date to report a missing payment. Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 or visit your local Social Security office in person. Have your Social Security number and bank account information ready. Social Security can tell you whether the payment was sent and, if it was, help you trace it through your bank. If the payment was not sent, Social Security can investigate why and reissue it.

How December 2019 Payments Differ From Other Months

December 2019 followed the standard payment schedule with no changes or delays. However, December is often when beneficiaries notice payment timing issues because of holiday mail delays and year-end bank closures. If you received a paper check in December 2019, it may have taken longer to clear your bank than usual due to the holiday season.

Additionally, December is when some beneficiaries receive their annual Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) notice, which explains any change to their benefit amount for the coming year. The COLA for 2020 was announced in October 2019, so if your benefit amount changed in January 2020, that change was based on the 2020 COLA, not on anything that happened in December 2019.

Checking Your Payment History

You can view your past SSDI payments, including December 2019, through your my Social Security account. Log in, go to the "Benefit Verification" section, and select "View Payment History." This shows all payments received in the past 12 months, the amount of each payment, and the date it was sent. Keeping a record of your payments helps you catch errors or missing payments quickly.

If you notice a payment from December 2019 that looks incorrect—for example, if the amount was lower or higher than usual—contact Social Security to ask why. Payment amounts can change if you earned income that month, if you had a work incentive applied, or if there was an error in your account. Social Security can explain any change and correct it if needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did I get paid on a different date than my friend with SSDI?

Your payment date depends on your birth date, not on when you started receiving benefits or any other factor. If your friend was born in a different part of the month than you, they are in a different payment group and receive their payment on a different Wednesday each month.

Can I change my SSDI payment date?

Your payment date is set by your birth date and cannot be changed. However, you can change how you receive your payment—from check to direct deposit, or to a different bank account—by updating your information with Social Security.

What if December 25 had been a Wednesday in 2019—would I have been paid on Christmas?

No. If a federal holiday falls on your payment date, Social Security advances your payment to the previous business day. Christmas is a federal holiday, so any payment scheduled for December 25 would have been sent on December 24 instead.

How do I know if my December 2019 payment was taxed?

SSDI benefits themselves are not taxed. However, if you had other income in 2019, part of your SSDI may have been subject to federal income tax. You should have received a Form SSA-1099 in January 2020 showing your 2019 benefits. Consult a tax professional if you are unsure whether you owe tax on your benefits.