Social Security benefit checks are sent out on the second, third, and fourth Wednesday of every month in relation to the date of birth of the recipient. For this month of June, the first Social Security benefit check has already been sent out by the Social Security Administration on June 11th. Two more benefit checks will be sent out for this month on the 18th and the 25th.
Here is what you need to know.
Social Security benefit checks for June
The Social Security Administration uploads the Schedule of Social Security Benefit Payments well in advance on the official website. Close to 70 million Americans — such as retirees, survivors, and disabled individuals — rely on these benefit checks to help cover their expenses each month. The Social Security Administration has scheduled its payment days by dividing up the beneficiaries into three groups that are categorized by the recipient’s date of birth.
Beneficiaries with a birth date from the 1st to the 10th of the month will receive their benefit check on the second Wednesday of each month. For June, this was yesterday, which was the 11th. Beneficiaries with a birth date from the 11th to the 20th of the month will receive their benefit check on the third Wednesday of the month. For this June, that will be the 18th. Finally, the remaining beneficiaries with a birth date from the 21st to the 31st of the month will receive their benefit check on the fourth Wednesday of the month. For this month, that will be the 25th.
On the Schedule of Social Security Benefit Payments, however, the agency notes that “If you don’t receive your payment on the expected date, please allow three additional mailing days before contacting Social Security.”
Furthermore, payment dates will differ slightly for Social Security beneficiaries who have been receiving benefits prior to May 1997, as well as for beneficiaries who qualify to receive the regular Social Security benefit along with the Supplemental Security income. For these individuals, the Supplemental Security Income payment is made on the first of the month and the Social Security benefit payment is made on the 3rd of the month.
“If you received Social Security before May 1997 or if receiving both Social Security & SSI, Social Security is paid on the 3rd and SSI on the 1st,” as per the schedule.
Additionally, it should also be noted that the Supplemental Security Income payment for June was made slightly earlier and went out on May 30 as marked on the schedule.
Full retirement age
Social Security benefits can be claimed starting at age 62, however, this is not the Full Retirement Age as per the agency. This means that claiming from age 62 could likely result in a lowered benefit amount until you reach your full retirement age. For individuals born in 1960 and later, the full retirement age is 67. Furthermore, holding off on claiming Social Security until you are 70, which is beyond the full retirement age, will result in increased monthly benefits as you will then qualify for “delayed retirement credits“.
This now leads to the question of how much is the maximum payable retirement benefit. As mentioned above, the age at which you decide to retire and claim Social Security benefits plays a huge role in how much your monthly benefit will work out to. The Social Security Administration uses the following example, “if you retire at full retirement age in 2025, your maximum benefit would be $4,018. However, if you retire at age 62 in 2025, your maximum benefit would be $2,831. If you retire at age 70 in 2025, your maximum benefit would be $5,108.”
In short, $5,108 is the maximum payable benefit amount for 2025, however, you will have to hold off on claiming until you are 70 which is past the full retirement age to qualify for this amount.