The checks paid to beneficiaries of Social Security by the Social Security Administration (SSA) form an important, and often sole, source of income for the cohort of retirees, disabled individuals, and other vulnerable Americans each month.
The SSA makes two kinds of benefit payments each month, the first is the regular Social Security benefit which rolls out on Wednesdays throughout the month. The second payment is that of the Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, which is paid to beneficiaries with little to no alternate resources, sometimes in addition to the regular Social Security benefit.
The SSA plans out its payment schedule for the year in advance and uploads it to the SSA website to ensure beneficiaries are able to coordinate their monthly budgets to their benefit payments thereby ensuring things run smoothly each month.
For May 2025, it appears that some beneficiaries will be recipient of not one, but three checks from the SSA.
What is the difference between Social Security and SSI?
Much like Social Security, SSI benefits are also a monthly welfare payment made to those in need. SSI benefits are aimed at aiding low income individuals who are aged 65 or older, living with an eligible disability, or blind. Under specific criteria, children can also sometimes qualify for SSI as well. Adults with a monthly earned income of, or surpassing, $2,019 will not typically qualify for SSI, however.
SSI payments are usually made at the beginning of the month, or in some rarer instances, at the end of the previous month. The traditional Social Security benefits payments, on the other hand, are made on the second third and fourth Wednesday of each month and is dependent on the birth date of the recipient.
For this month of May, the SSI payment had been sent out on the first, as per the SSA’s official payment schedule. Following this, Social Security benefit payments will be rolled out as follows:
- May 14 for beneficiaries born between the 1st and 10th
- May 21 for beneficiaries born between the 11th and 20th
- May 28 for beneficiaries born between the 21st and 31st
Some beneficiaries are recipients of both the SSI and the traditional Social Security benefit each month. For these recipients, May will bring to their bank accounts a total of three checks. Recipients of both benefits should note that their SSI payment will be made on the 1st and the Social Security benefit payment will be made on the 3rd of the month. These dates apply to those who have been receiving Social Security since before May 1997 as well.
Three checks for May
By now, beneficiaries would have noticed an additional SSI payment scheduled for the 30th. This is not a bonus check from the SSA, but rather an early SSI payment that is meant to be used for the month of June. This early payment approach is aimed at ensuring beneficiaries have complete access to their funds once the new month begins.
SSI beneficiaries will be paid in a similar manner for the months of August and October of this year as well. It is important to note that due to the early dates of these payments, recipients will not be receiving any SSI checks for the entirety of June, and again later, in September or November.
So whilst the three benefit checks for this month may seem like a bonus and a bump to one’s bank account, the extra check is merely a prepayment and should be budgeted for the month of June.
All SSI payments are made by direct deposit or to a Direct Express card, depending on the beneficiary’s preference. As such, no action needs to be taken in order to receive the early SSI payment since it has already been clearly marked on the SSA’s schedule. However, if an additional payment does appear in your bank account without any prior notice, the SSA should be contacted immediately.