Social Security payments shift in December 2025 due to annual cost-of-living adjustment and tax law changes
Your Social Security check amount may change in December 2025 for two separate reasons. The Social Security Administration announces a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) each October, which takes effect in December. Separately, changes to tax withholding rules that took effect in January 2025 may also affect what you receive. The December payment is when both changes land in most cases, so understanding what is happening and why matters if you budget around a specific monthly amount.
The COLA percentage for 2025 was announced in October 2024 and applies to all beneficiaries starting with the December 2024 payment. If you did not see a change then, you will not see one in December 2025 — that adjustment already happened. However, if tax withholding rules changed your net payment earlier in 2025, December may bring a second shift if the Social Security Administration corrects or adjusts your account.
Key Takeaways
- The annual cost-of-living adjustment for 2025 took effect in December 2024, not December 2025, so most people already received that increase.
- Changes to federal income tax withholding rules that began in January 2025 may have reduced some people's net Social Security payments throughout the year.
- The Social Security Administration sends a notice (Form SSA-1099) by January 31 each year showing your total benefits and taxes withheld, which you use to file your tax return.
- If you changed your tax withholding elections during 2025, those changes typically take effect in the month after you request them.
- December payments may be lower or higher than November depending on whether you receive a payment in that month — some beneficiaries receive payments on different dates based on birth date.
How the annual cost-of-living adjustment works
The Social Security Administration calculates COLA each year based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) from July, August, and September. The percentage increase (or occasionally no change or a decrease) applies to all beneficiaries' primary insurance amounts starting in December of that year. For 2025, the COLA was 2.5 percent, which means a person receiving $1,000 per month in December 2024 received $1,025 per month starting that same December.
The 2026 COLA will be announced in October 2025 and will take effect in December 2025. That is the adjustment that affects your December 2025 payment. The Social Security Administration has not yet calculated the 2026 COLA, so the exact percentage is unknown. Historical COLA amounts have ranged from 0 percent (in 2010, 2011, and 2016) to 8.7 percent (in 2023), depending on inflation that year.
Tax withholding changes that may affect your 2025 payments
In January 2025, the IRS adjusted federal income tax withholding tables to reflect changes in the tax code. For some Social Security beneficiaries, this meant the Social Security Administration withheld less federal income tax from their monthly payment, increasing their net check. For others, withholding stayed the same or increased slightly depending on their individual tax situation and prior withholding elections.
If you did not request a change to your tax withholding but your payment changed in January 2025, the shift came from the IRS table adjustment, not from a choice you made. You can view your current tax withholding election by logging into your my Social Security account at ssa.gov or by calling 1-800-772-1213 to speak with a representative. Your Form SSA-1099, sent by January 31 each year, shows the total federal income tax withheld during the previous year.
When the 2026 cost-of-living adjustment takes effect
The Social Security Administration will announce the 2026 COLA in October 2025. That percentage will explore to your December 2025 payment and all payments going forward in 2026. The announcement is public and posted on the Social Security Administration website; you do not need to do anything to receive the increase.
Your December 2025 payment will reflect both the 2025 COLA (which you already received in December 2024) and the 2026 COLA (which applies starting in December 2025). In other words, your December 2025 check will be higher than your November 2025 check by the 2026 COLA percentage, assuming no other changes to your account.
Payment dates and how they affect December checks
Social Security payments are sent on a schedule based on your birth date, not on a single day each month. If you were born on the 1st through the 10th of any month, you receive your payment on the second Wednesday of each month. If you were born on the 11th through the 20th, you receive it on the third Wednesday. If you were born on the 21st through the 31st, you receive it on the fourth Wednesday. This means December 2025 may have two, three, or even four payment dates depending on the calendar.
Some people receive payments in December and some do not, depending on when they were born and how the calendar falls. If you do not receive a December payment, your next payment will be in January 2026, and it will include the 2026 COLA increase. You can view your payment date by logging into your my Social Security account or by calling the Social Security Administration.
How to check your current payment amount and withholding
The most direct way to see what you are receiving is to log into your my Social Security account at ssa.gov using your username and password. The account shows your current monthly benefit amount, your payment date, and your current tax withholding election. If you do not have an account, you can create one using your email address and Social Security number.
You can also call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) to speak with a representative. They can tell you your current payment amount, your payment date, and your tax withholding status. Have your Social Security number ready when you call. Representatives are available Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern time.
Changing your tax withholding before December
If you want to change how much federal income tax the Social Security Administration withholds from your payment, you can request a change at any time. You complete Form W-4V (Voluntary Withholding Request) and submit it to your local Social Security office, by mail, or through your my Social Security account. The change typically takes effect in the month after you submit the request.
You can request that no federal income tax be withheld, that a flat dollar amount be withheld each month, or that a percentage of your benefit be withheld. If you owe taxes at the end of the year and did not have enough withheld, you may owe money when you file your tax return. If too much was withheld, you may receive a refund. Your Form SSA-1099 shows the total withheld, which you use when filing your return.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my December 2025 Social Security check be higher than my November check?
Yes, unless your payment date falls outside December. Your December payment will include the 2026 COLA increase, which the Social Security Administration will announce in October 2025. The exact percentage is not yet known, but historical increases have ranged from 0 to 8.7 percent.
What if I did not receive a payment in December 2024 — do I get the 2025 COLA now?
The 2025 COLA took effect in December 2024 for all beneficiaries, regardless of whether they received a payment that month. If your payment date is later in the month and you did not receive a December 2024 payment, your January 2025 payment included the 2025 COLA increase. You will not receive it again in December 2025.
Can I see what my December 2025 payment will be before October?
No, because the 2026 COLA is not announced until October 2025. You can see your current payment amount in your my Social Security account or by calling 1-800-772-1213. Once the COLA is announced, you can calculate your December payment by multiplying your current amount by the COLA percentage and adding it to your current amount.
If I changed my tax withholding in 2025, when does it take effect?
Tax withholding changes typically take effect in the month after you submit Form W-4V. If you submit the form in November 2025, the new withholding amount will appear in your December 2025 payment. You can submit the form through your my Social Security account, by mail, or in person at your local Social Security office.
Where do I find my Form SSA-1099 for 2025?
The Social Security Administration mails Form SSA-1099 by January 31 each year to all beneficiaries who received benefits during the previous year. You can also view and print it from your my Social Security account. You use this form to file your federal income tax return and to report your Social Security income.