Social Security
Discover who’s getting $2,000 from Social Security on Wednesday, Jan. 22: Could you be one of them?
As part of its staggered payment scheme, the Social Security Administration is preparing to send out the latest weekly batch of checks.
Millions of Americans are set to receive Social Security benefits this week, as part of the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) staggered payments system.
Who gets Social Security benefits in the US?
Social Security beneficiaries in the US include retired workers, disabled workers and surviving relatives of deceased recipients. The monthly amounts paid to these groups are dependent on how much Social Security tax they, or their deceased family member, have paid.
Meanwhile, the SSA’s list of major benefits packages also features the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program - a separate scheme that is needs-based rather than contribution-based. SSI is for people with little or no income who are over 65 or have a disability.
How does the Social Security payment schedule work?
Due to the large number of payments that the SSA has to process each month - in 2024, there were some 68 million Social Security recipients across the US - checks are sent out in batches determined by the beneficiary’s date of birth.
Recipients of retirement, disability or survivors’ benefits who were born between the 1st and the 10th of the month receive their money on the second Wednesday of each month; those born between the 11th and the 20th get their checks on the third Wednesday; and those born between the 21st and the 31st are paid on the fourth Wednesday.
As January 22, 2025 is the fourth Wednesday of the month, this week’s payments will be going out to Social Security beneficiaries whose dates of birth are between the 21st and the 31st.
Different payment schedule long-term and SSI beneficiaries
The payment timeline outlined above doesn’t apply to recipients who began getting checks before May 1997, or to SSI beneficiaries. These two groups normally receive their money on the 3rd and 1st of each month, respectively, regardless of the recipient’s date of birth.
How much do Social Security beneficiaries get in the US?
Retired workers make up the vast majority of Social Security recipients in the US: as of November 2024, they accounted for nearly 80% of all beneficiaries. According to the SSA, recipients of retirement benefits generally get around $2,000 per month: following the 2025 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), the average individual retirement payment now stands at $1,976.
Disability benefits average $1,580 per month, the SSA says, and Americans on survivor benefits receive an average of $1,832.
Early February payment coming up for SSI recipients
On Friday, January 31, beneficiaries of the SSI scheme are to receive their February checks a day early. This is because February 1 falls on a weekend day.
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