As the fourth Wednesday of the month approaches, along with it comes the final Social Security benefit payment for September. There are currently well over 70 million beneficiaries in the Social Security program and due to the sheer volume of recipients, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has arranged its schedule in a way that allows it to roll out payments in intervals throughout the month, rather than on one day, therefore leaving less room for error.
The agency’s Schedule of Social Security Benefit Payments provides Social Security beneficiaries with benefit payment dates for the full calendar year, and it also includes the payment dates for the Supplemental Security Income, or SSI benefit. Two of the three total Social Security benefit payments will have already reached the bank accounts of beneficiaries, with one more payment slated for September 24th.
Once September ends, the SSA will also bring an end to the issuing of paper checks when it pays out its benefits. This change has come about in accordance with a March executive order to modernize all transactions in the broader federal government. Here is everything you need to know.
September Social Security payments
Retirees can expect to receive their Social Security benefit for the month on the second, third, or fourth Wednesday each month, depending on their date of birth. The next, and final benefit payment for September is scheduled for later this week on Wednesday, September 24th. This benefit will be paid to recipients with a birth date from the 21st to the 31st of their respective birth month.
The complete list of Social Security benefit payment dates for the month of September are listed below:
- Second Wednesday, September 10th – recipients with birth dates from the 1st of the month to the 10th
- Third Wednesday, September 17th – recipients with birth dates from the 11th of the month to the 20th
- Fourth Wednesday, September 24th – recipients with birth dates from the 21st of the month to the 31st
It is also worth noting that there had been no SSI payment paid out during September. This is because the September SSI was paid to recipients a few days earlier and as a result, the payment date fell on August 29th.
Here is a full outline of SSI benefit payment dates for the remainder of the year as per the schedule:
- August 29th – SSI benefit for September
- October 1st – SSI benefit for October
- October 31st – SSI benefit for November
- December 1st – SSI benefit for December
- December 31st – SSI benefit for January 2026
No more paper checks in October
In March, the White House issued an executive order stipulating that all payments to and from the federal government must be made electronically as of September 30th. Subsequently on July 14th, the SSA shared an update confirming that it will no longer issue paper checks as of September 30th and as such, the agency has since been urging all paper check recipients to change their payment method to either a Direct Deposit, or a Direct Express Card.
Advocacy groups and lawmakers raised the concern that this change may not be feasible some of the more vulnerable beneficiaries in the program. Subsequently, the SSA Commissioner shared confirmation to Sen. Elizabeth Warren that the agency would continue to disburse paper checks to those who need it even after the executive order is in full effect.
Additionally, according to the Department of Treasury’s GoDirect webpage, a waiver will be granted to those who cannot switch payment methods under the following circumstances:
- The check recipient is an individual to whom electronic payments would impose a hardship due to a mental impairment.
- The check recipient lives in a remote geographic location lacking the infrastructure to support electronic financial transactions.
- The check recipient is age 90 or above.