November 2026 Senior Benefits Bulletin: Payments, Changes, and Deadlines

Need last month’s details? Read the October benefits bulletin.

November 2026 Dates to Watch

Dates are national unless a place is named. Local office hours, eligibility, and application steps may differ.

November Social Security and SSI Payment Calendar

The SSA payment calendar confirms these dates. Most retirement, disability, and survivor payments follow a birthday schedule. People on the third-of-month schedule and SSI recipients follow different rules.

Get both SSI and Social Security? October 30 may be your November SSI date and November 3 your Social Security date. These are separate benefits, not an extra SSI payment.

Missing an electronic payment? Ask your bank first. If the payment is still missing, follow SSA’s missing-payment steps or call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). You do not need to wait for mail delivery. Our Social Security guide explains benefit types.

The 2027 Social Security COLA: What Changes and When

SSA announced the 3.6% COLA on October 14, 2026. This yearly increase helps benefits keep up with prices. It is not a separate check.

Higher Social Security checks generally arrive in January 2027. The increased January SSI payment arrives December 31, 2026, because January 1 is a holiday. The December 1 SSI payment has no 2027 increase.

For example, 3.6% of a $1,000 monthly benefit is $36, making it $1,036 before deductions. Medicare premiums, taxes, and other deductions can change your deposit.

The 2027 federal SSI maximums are $1,029 a month for one person and $1,544 for a couple. Income and living arrangements may lower your amount. Some states add help.

November 18: A notice deadline, not a benefit deadline

For early online access to your personal notice, create a my Social Security account and select paperless notices by November 18, 2026. Online notices begin appearing in late November; paper notices are mailed in December.

Missing November 18 does not cancel your increase. You do not need to apply or pay for COLA. Your notice shows your benefit and deductions.

Medicare Open Enrollment: Decide Before December 7

Medicare Open Enrollment runs October 15–December 7, 2026. You can generally change Medicare Advantage or Part D drug plans. You may also be able to switch between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage.

Eligible changes usually start January 1, 2027. You need not switch if your plan still fits.

This is not first-time Medicare enrollment. Review your plan’s change notice, then use Medicare Plan Finder to compare more than monthly premiums.

Check these six things before changing plans

1. List each medicine, dose, and refill schedule.
2. Check drug coverage and any approval rules.
3. Check your pharmacy and doctors in the exact 2027 plan.
4. Compare annual premiums, deductibles, and copays. A deductible is what you pay before plan cost-sharing starts.
5. Check other coverage, including Medicaid or retiree plans, before switching.
6. Save the plan name, start date, and confirmation number.

Two important 2027 drug-cost figures

The maximum Part D drug deductible is $700 in 2027. Some plans charge less or nothing.

The 2027 out-of-pocket threshold for covered Part D prescriptions is $2,400. Once you reach it, covered Part D drugs generally cost $0 for the rest of the year. It does not cap premiums, doctor visits, hospital bills, or uncovered medicines. See Medicare’s drug-cost rules.

The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan can spread drug bills across the year, but it does not lower total costs. For savings, ask about Extra Help or Medicare Savings Programs.

Before leaving Medicare Advantage, check whether you can buy Medigap, which helps pay certain Original Medicare costs. Buying rights may be limited, and state rules differ. For free, unbiased help, contact the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) using its counselor finder or call Medicare at 1-800-633-4227.

Medicare Savings Programs may cover some Medicare costs; Extra Help can lower drug costs. Income and other rules apply.

Did You Receive the One-Time $90 Medicare Rebate?

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a one-time $90 Part B rebate for certain Original Medicare members. Most eligible people were due a direct deposit around October 8, 2026; others were due a Treasury check later in October.

This is not a monthly payment or new November benefit.

The CMS rebate FAQ excludes Medicare Advantage members and lists limits involving U.S. residence, Medicaid help with premiums, and higher-income premiums. Having Part B alone does not mean you qualify.

What to do: Check October bank records and mail. For eligibility, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). For payment status, call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213. Never pay to release the rebate.

SNAP: New Amounts and a Warning for Ages 60–64

SNAP helps eligible households buy food. The 2027 benefit figures started October 1, 2026; November brings no second increase.

The USDA’s 2027 SNAP tables list monthly maximums of $306 for one person and $562 for two in the 48 states and D.C. Some eligible one- or two-person households receive the $25 minimum. Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands use different amounts.

These are not promised payments. Income and allowed costs affect your amount.

At age 60 or older, certain medical costs may count toward SNAP deductions. Ask if the office counted your rent, utilities, and medical bills. Keep proof.

Why being 60 no longer settles every work-rule question

SNAP has two work-rule systems. People age 60 and older are exempt from general work registration. But a 2025 law extended a different limit, for able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWD), to some people ages 18–64. That can include ages 60–64.

Not everyone ages 60–64 is subject to the time limit. Health, caregiving, and other exceptions may apply. People who are subject to it generally must meet 80 hours a month of qualifying work or activities to avoid losing SNAP after the permitted months. Ask your state how exceptions and waivers apply.

See USDA’s updated guidance. North Carolina’s explanation shows the separate age rules, but your state may administer them differently.

Our SNAP guide for seniors has more detail. If you get a work-rule notice, ask about every exception before benefits are cut.

Use the USDA state directory to reach your office. If food is running out, ask about expedited SNAP and local meals.

Heating and Utility Help: November Openings

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) may help pay heating bills or prevent loss of heat. There is no national opening date. States, tribes, and local offices set their schedules.

Payments often go to energy providers; funds can run out.

These dates are local, not national. Illinois adults age 60+ could apply from October 1. NYC’s date does not apply to every New York county.

November 1 falls on a Sunday. In Illinois, confirm when the local office first accepts applications. Always check current forms, hours, and funds; some official pages also show past-season details.

Prepare a utility bill, income proof, and any shutoff notice. If heat is included in rent, ask if you can qualify.

If service may be cut, call your utility and the assistance office. Ask about crisis aid, payment plans, and medical-equipment protections. Applying may not stop a shutoff.

Elsewhere, use the LIHEAP local-help directory or call 1-866-674-6327. Our utility shutoff action plan can organize your calls.

Marketplace, TRICARE, and Federal Plan Deadlines

Marketplace health coverage is different from Medicare

HealthCare.gov enrollment starts November 1 for 2027 coverage. In HealthCare.gov states, enroll by December 15 for January 1 coverage. State Marketplaces may differ. This may help a spouse or adult ages 60–64 without Medicare.

Marketplace health plans do not replace Medicare. People with Medicare generally cannot enroll in Marketplace health coverage; special cases may differ.

Dental coverage is different. Some state-run Marketplaces may offer standalone dental plans to people with Medicare, unlike the federal Marketplace. Check HealthCare.gov’s explanation and ask your state Marketplace.

Separate open seasons for military and federal plans

TRICARE Open Season runs November 9–December 8, 2026 for eligible Prime or Select members, but not TRICARE For Life. Check your plan.

The Federal Benefits Open Season is November 9–December 14, 2026 for eligible federal and postal workers, retirees, and families. Coverage choices vary. Check other insurance before switching.

Thanksgiving Planning, Housing, and Benefit Notices

Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26. Meal services, pharmacies, rides, and offices may change hours. Ask about holiday meals before Thanksgiving week.

Book needed rides early and ask for backup service if a provider closes.

Our Area Agencies on Aging directory finds meal and ride contacts. SNAP food benefit deposit dates follow a separate state schedule.

Housing, Medicaid, and property-tax aid have local deadlines; there is no single national November date. Follow the date on your notice.

For property taxes, ask whether relief is a credit, exemption, or deferral. Deferrals can require repayment and interest.

If help is denied or cut, ask why in writing, check the appeal deadline, and save proof. If a program has no funds, ask about crisis help, other local agencies, or a waitlist.

Watch for Medicare, COLA, and Utility Scams

Scammers use real deadlines to pressure people. No one needs to activate your COLA or release the $90 rebate for a fee.

• Never give an unexpected caller your Social Security number, Medicare number, bank password, EBT PIN, or one-time sign-in code.
• Do not switch plans because a stranger promises groceries or cash.
• Do not pay a stranger to release a benefit or hold an energy-assistance place.
• Hang up and call the number on your official card, notice, or agency website.

See Medicare fraud guidance or call 1-800-633-4227. If you shared bank details, contact your bank now.

Your November Checklist

1. Mark your Social Security date. Budget October 30 SSI for November.
2. Read your Medicare plan notice and list your medicines and doctors.
3. Check drug coverage, penalties, and Medigap before switching plans.
4. If eligible, check for the one-time October $90 rebate.
5. For an early COLA notice, choose paperless SSA notices by November 18.
6. Review SNAP work-rule notices, especially at ages 60–64.
7. Ask about heating crisis aid before a shutoff.
8. Arrange holiday food, refills, and rides early.
9. Save notices, receipts, and appeal dates.

Start with the problem that affects your food, health, heat, or housing most.

Last updated: October 27, 2026 · Next review: November 2, 2026