In December, SSI recipients will receive their payments a day early – Dec. 31 – because Jan. 1 is the New Year’s Day holiday. These checks will reflect two different amounts because the 2025 Cost of Living Adjustment increase will apply to the payment made on Dec. 31.

The reason to get three November SSI payments is due to an oddity in the calender. The beneficiaries will receive the first November SSI payment on November 1. According to the Social Security Administration schedule, the second payment will be received on Wednesday, November 27.

Inflation affects everyone, but it's especially noticeable for those with fixed-income sources like Social Security. The good (but could-be-better) news, though, is that Social Security has a system in place to try to put a bandage on this issue.

Still, the recent news raises a handful of questions among the retirees it impacts the most. Here are a few things you might want to know about these annual cost-of-living adjustments. The annual COLA isn't a number arbitrarily decided by the Social Security Administration.