Check your bank account today for this new payment. Each month, the Social Security Administration (SSA) is responsible for sending out millions of payments to its approximately 70 million beneficiaries. However, payments are never made on one date and are instead distributed throughout the month according to your eligibility. Today, a brand new payment is set to be released by the administration. Check to see if you are one of the eligible beneficiaries who will receive payment.
How does the SSA stagger payments?
The SSA is famous for ‘never missing a payment’ since its inception, with its beneficiaries receiving consistent and timely payments even through a World War and a pandemic. Payment dates will differ depending on which fund you receive SSA benefits from. There are three SSA benefits you can be eligible to receive, with the vast majority of beneficiaries receiving benefits from the Retirement fund. However, you can also qualify to receive benefits from the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) fund and Disability fund.
The general payment schedule for Retirement and Disability beneficiaries is as follows if you are not an SSI beneficiary:
- The second Wednesday of the month: Birth dates between the first and the 10th of the month.
- The third Wednesday of the month: Birth dates between the 11th and 20th of the month.
- The fourth Wednesday of the month: Birth dates between the 21st and 31st of the month.
However, if you are an SSI recipient, your SSI benefits will always be paid on the first of the month. If you receive Retirement benefits in addition to SSI benefits, your Retirement benefits are paid out on the third of the month instead of according to the general payment schedule. Additionally, recipients who claimed their SSA benefits before May 1997 will also always be paid on the third of the month.
Who gets paid today, September 17, by the SSA?
According to the stipulated Social Security payment schedule, today, September 17, is when the first round of Retirement and Disability benefits will be released for beneficiaries who do not receive SSI benefits and have a birthdate between the first and tenth of any given month. It is important to remember that there is no set amount the Administration pays beneficiaries, with the amount you receive in benefits dependent on a variety of factors.
For example, the maximum Retirement benefits you can receive from the SSA amount to $5,108. However, to receive this maximum payment, you need to have ensured that you only claimed your benefits at 70 years old, in addition to paying the maximum threshold of Social Security contributions for 35 years. Most beneficiaries do not receive this high a payment from the SSA, with the average Retirement payment amounting to approximately $2,000.
Payment date changes for these beneficiaries
Generally, the SSA rarely deviates from its set payment schedule unless anticipated payment dates fall on a public holiday or weekend. This was the case this month for SSI beneficiaries, who had their SSI benefits advanced to 29 August instead of being paid on the first, as September 1 is Labor Day. This month, beneficiaries can expect a similar change to happen regarding October benefits.
SSI beneficiaries next month will receive a double payment, with their October benefits set to be paid out on the regular anticipated first of the month date. However, they will be paid a second time on October 31 as November 1 falls on a weekend, meaning November benefits will be advanced to October, resulting in a double payment. Next month also brings an important date for all SSA beneficiaries to take note of, as the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) statistic will be announced on October 15, where beneficiaries will receive confirmation of how much their benefits are set to increase by for the 2026 fiscal year.
Disclaimer: This content is informational only and does not supersede or replace the SSA’s or IRS’s own publications and notices. Always verify any specific dates and amounts by following the direct links in our article to SSA.gov or IRS.gov, or by consulting your local SSA field office or tax professional.
