Among United States retirement beneficiaries, Social Security disability beneficiaries are preparing to get their final 2024 payments, which will include an increase over last year’s amount. This annual adjustment, which has helped millions of people cope with the rising cost of living, continues to be applied to each monthly payment through the end of the year. As December brings the holiday season and the close of the year, it is important for beneficiaries to be aware of the exact dates of payments and the reason behind the increase.
The Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) that was implemented at the beginning of 2024 has allowed disability beneficiaries to get higher payments than they did in 2023. However, it is relevant to remember that this increase is not exclusive to December, but has been applied throughout the year. Even so, for many people, this additional help takes on greater importance in December due to the extra expenses that usually arise at this time.
That is why it is important to have a good understanding of the details about the payment dates in December and the reasons for this increase, which, although it is not a new increase, represents the last payment of the year under the 2024 COLA adjustment. This information will be helpful for beneficiaries to better understand how their December disability check works and to properly manage their finances.
December Disability Payments
Social Security arranges its disability payments on different dates of the month, depending on the group to which the beneficiary belongs. These groups are determined by when they started getting the benefit and the date of their birthday. In December, the payment dates are distributed as follows:
- Group 1: You get your payment on December 3. This group includes beneficiaries who started getting the benefit before 1997. For them, the disability check is issued in the first week of the month.
- Group 2: They get their payment on December 11. This group includes beneficiaries whose birthday is between the 1st and 10th of the month. These payments are issued in the second week. It is also necessary to have payment since after May 1997.
- Group 3: Gets their payment on December 18. Those whose birthday is between the 11th and 20th of the month are in this group, who get their payment in the third week. It is also necessary to have payment since after May 1997.
- Group 4: Gets its payment on December 24. This group, which covers beneficiaries with birthdays between the 21st and 31st of the month, gets their check in the last week. Since the 25th is a Christmas holiday, the payment is brought forward to Tuesday, December 24. It is also necessary to have payment since after May 1997.
These dates allow disability beneficiaries to plan their spending for the month, especially in December, where holidays can affect banking schedules and deadlines.
Why is there an increase in the December Disability payment?
Recipients may notice that the December check is higher than what they received in December of the previous year, but it is critical to clarify that this increase is not unique to December, but is due to the 2024 COLA adjustment. This adjustment was applied at the beginning of the year for all monthly payments and has been the same for every check issued during 2024, in response to the rising cost of living in the United States.
The COLA, or cost-of-living adjustment, is a measure that takes inflation and other economic factors into account to determine how much Social Security payments should be adjusted annually. In this case, the 2024 increase was implemented to offset the effects of inflation on beneficiaries’ daily living expenses. Thus, the checks issued during this year have been higher compared to 2023, allowing beneficiaries to better manage their expenses in a context of rising prices.
It is important to note that the COLA increase does not vary on a monthly basis; the payment in December is the same as it has been getting for the rest of the year, but it will be the last 2024 to include this specific adjustment. For next year, a new COLA adjustment of 2.5% has been confirmed, which will increase 2025 payments compared to this year’s.
This final December check closes the 2024 COLA-adjusted payment cycle, providing disability beneficiaries with stable help throughout the year to address the cost of living. With the arrival of 2025, beneficiaries will get the new adjustment, allowing them to continue coverage of their needs.