With each new week comes yet another Social Security benefit payment. As all beneficiaries of the Social Security program would know, the Social Security Administration (SSA) rolls out its benefit payments on Wednesdays throughout the month. The benefit payments are sent out on the second, third, and fourth Wednesday of each month, in particular. The specific Wednesday on which a recipient will receive their benefit check is determined in relation to their date of birth.
The next round of benefit checks will be sent out by the SSA on Wednesday, September 17th. Here is everything you need to know about how the SSA structures its payment schedule, as well as all of the remaining benefit payment dates for the current month of September.
How is the Social Security payment schedule structured?
The SSA uploads the official Schedule of Social Security Benefit Payments. In this schedule, beneficiaries will find the payment dates for both the regular Social Security benefits, as well as the Supplemental Security Income benefits for the full calendar year. By uploading the benefit payment schedule for the full calendar year in advance, beneficiaries are able to have complete transparency with regards to when they will receive their monthly benefit income. This then allows these households the ability to plan out their budgets around the payment dates and in advance if so desired.
For the regular Social Security benefit, the agency rolls out benefit checks on the second, third, and fourth Wednesday of each month. The Wednesday on which you will receive your benefit check is determined based on your date of birth in your respective birth month. The payments are spread out across Wednesdays throughout the month as follows:
- Beneficiaries with a birth date between the 1st and the 10th of their respective birth month will receive their benefits on the second Wednesday of each month.
- Beneficiaries with a birth date between the 11th and the 20th of their respective birth month will receive their benefits on the third Wednesday of each month.
- Beneficiaries with a birth date between the 21st and the 31st of their respective birth month will receive their benefits on the fourth Wednesday of each month.
The Supplemental Security Income benefit payment dates are also marked on the same schedule. These benefits are generally paid out to qualifying beneficiaries on the first of each month. Payment dates for the Supplement Security Income can sometimes fluctuate slightly. However, in these cases, the benefit will always be paid out to beneficiaries earlier rather than later. This is why for some months on the schedule, it appears as though there are two Supplemental Security Income payments for one month even though that is not the case. It is merely the payment for the next month being sent out early.
Additionally, “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.”
Important payment dates
For this upcoming Wednesday, which is September 17th, beneficiaries with birth dates between the 11th and the 20th of their respective birth months can expect to receive their Social Security benefit payment for September. However, the agency does also note the following on its schedule: “If you don’t receive your payment on the expected date, please allow three additional mailing days before contacting Social Security.”
Listed below are all payment dates for the current month of September:
- 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