Social Security beneficiaries may be getting larger payments in 2026. The maximum monthly checks are expected to increase to as much as $5,251 due to the cost-of-living adjustment, The Independent reported. In the previous year, the average monthly payment amounted to $2,071. Beneficiaries could now earn as much as $63,000 in 2026, according to the projections.

Who is eligible to receive maximum Social Security payments?

Social Security beneficiaries must meet at least three different criteria to receive maximum payments. One of the requirements is that the beneficiary must have worked for at least 35 years. People who work until age 70 may also receive larger payments. Additionally, the payments are calculated by how much people contribute in taxes. Those who contribute the most could get higher payments. 

Still, people can get benefits if they retire sooner. Those who work as little as 10 years can be eligible for benefits, but the payments would be much lower than those who worked at least 35 years.

When are Social Security benefits scheduled to arrive?

The Social Security Administration typically sends out payments according to people’s birth dates. The payments are usually sent on the second, third, or fourth Wednesday of each month. In February, for example, people born between the first and the 10th of any month will get their checks on the 11th. Those born between the 11th and the 20th get their payments on Feb. 18. On the 25th, people born between the 21st and the 31st of any month will get their checks, Investopedia reported.

People who started receiving retirement benefits before May 1997 may get paid on the third of every month. The SSA also has a separate schedule for SSI payments. Those payments, given to beneficiaries with disabilities and people aged 65 and older who have minimal income, are sent on the first of every month.