When Social Security Pays You and What Your Benefit Might Be Next Year
Social Security Payment Dates Are Based on Your Birth Date
Social Security sends payments on a schedule tied to when you were born, not when you filed. If you receive retirement, survivor, or disability benefits, your payment arrives on the same day each month—but that day depends on your birth date, not your choice.
The schedule works like this: people born on the 1st through the 10th of any month get paid on the second Wednesday of each month. Those born on the 11th through the 20th get paid on the third Wednesday. People born on the 21st through the 31st get paid on the fourth Wednesday. If you were born on the 31st of a month, you fall into the third-Wednesday group.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients get paid on the first of the month, regardless of birth date. If the 1st falls on a weekend or holiday, the payment arrives the business day before.
Key Takeaways
- Your payment date is locked to your birth date and does not change unless you switch between retirement, disability, and survivor benefits.
- Retirement and disability payments arrive on a Wednesday between the 10th and the 22nd of each month, depending on whether you were born in the first, second, or third third of the month.
- SSI payments arrive on the 1st of the month, or the business day before if the 1st is a weekend or holiday.
- Benefit amounts rise each year based on the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), which is announced in October for the following year.
- You can see your exact payment date and current benefit amount by logging into your my Social Security account online.
How to Find Your Exact Payment Date
The easiest way to confirm when you get paid is to log into your my Social Security account at ssa.gov. Once you sign in, your payment date appears under "Payment Information." If you do not have an online account, you can create one using your email, Social Security number, and a phone number.
If you do not use the internet, you can call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) and ask a representative for your payment date. Have your Social Security number ready. Wait times are shortest early in the morning on weekdays.
Your bank or credit union can also tell you when the deposit hits your account. If you receive payments by check instead of direct deposit, the check is mailed several days before the payment date, so it may arrive earlier or later depending on mail delivery in your area.
What the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) Means for Your Benefit
Each year, Social Security announces a Cost of Living Adjustment, or COLA, that raises benefit amounts to account for inflation. The adjustment is a percentage increase applied to everyone's benefit at the same time. For example, if inflation was high that year, the COLA might be 3 percent; if inflation was low, it might be 1 percent or less.
Social Security calculates COLA using the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), which measures how prices change for food, housing, transportation, and other goods. The agency compares prices from July, August, and September of the current year to the same months in the previous year. If prices went up, benefits go up by that same percentage. If prices stayed flat or fell, there is no COLA that year—your benefit stays the same.
The COLA is announced in October and takes effect in January. So in October 2024, Social Security would announce the COLA that applies to all January 2025 payments. You do not have to do anything to receive the increase; it happens automatically.
When COLA Is Announced and When It Takes Effect
Social Security announces the new COLA in mid-October each year. The announcement includes the percentage increase and an estimate of how much the average benefit will rise in dollars. You can find the announcement on the Social Security website or by calling 1-800-772-1213.
The new COLA applies to your January payment. So if you receive a payment on the 12th of each month, your January 12th payment will include the increase. Your December payment will still be at the old rate.
If you receive SSI, the increase also takes effect in January, but SSI has a separate calculation that sometimes differs slightly from the retirement and disability COLA. The agency will notify you by mail if your SSI benefit changes.
Why COLA Varies Year to Year
COLA is not set by Social Security—it is determined by inflation in the economy. Years with high inflation produce higher COLAs. Years with low inflation produce lower COLAs or no increase at all. Between 2009 and 2011, there was no COLA because inflation was flat or negative. In 2022, COLA was 8.7 percent because inflation spiked. In other years it has been as low as 0.3 percent.
The COLA formula is the same every year: Social Security compares the average CPI-W for July, August, and September to the same months in the previous year. If the current year's average is higher, the percentage difference becomes the COLA. This means COLA is predictable once the summer months have passed, but it cannot be known with certainty until October.
How to See Your Projected Benefit Amount
Your my Social Security account shows your current benefit amount and the date it was last updated. After the COLA is announced in October, the account updates to show your new benefit amount, which takes effect in January.
If you do not have an online account, you can request a benefit statement by mail. Call 1-800-772-1213 and ask for a "Social Security Statement." The statement shows your current benefit and is mailed to you within two weeks. It does not include a projection of next year's benefit, but it confirms what you are receiving now.
Some people use the Social Security Retirement Estimator tool on the agency's website to see what their benefit might be at different ages or in future years. This tool uses your actual earnings record and can show you scenarios, but it does not account for future COLA increases because those are unknown.
What Happens If You Miss a Payment or It Arrives Late
If your payment does not arrive on your scheduled date, check your bank account first—sometimes deposits take an extra day to show up. If it has been two business days past your payment date and the money is not there, contact Social Security at 1-800-772-1213.
Delays are rare but can happen if there is a problem with your account, a change in your direct deposit information, or a federal holiday that shifts the payment schedule. Social Security can tell you whether the payment was sent and, if so, when it should arrive. If the payment was not sent, the agency can investigate why and reissue it.
If you receive payments by check and the check is lost or stolen, contact Social Security to request a replacement. Do not cash a duplicate check if the original arrives later; report the duplicate to Social Security instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change my payment date?
No. Your payment date is determined by your birth date and does not change. If you switch from one type of benefit to another (for example, from disability to retirement), your payment date may shift to match your new benefit type, but you cannot choose when you get paid.
What if I was born on the 31st of a month?
You are grouped with people born on the 21st through the 31st and receive your payment on the fourth Wednesday of each month. Social Security treats the 31st as part of the third group for scheduling purposes.
Does the COLA apply to SSI the same way it applies to retirement benefits?
SSI has its own COLA calculation that is announced at the same time as the retirement COLA, but the percentage may differ slightly. Both take effect in January. SSI recipients receive a notice by mail if their benefit amount changes.
If I have not created a my Social Security account yet, how long does it take?
Creating an account takes about 10 minutes. You need your email, Social Security number, and a phone number. Social Security may ask you security questions to verify your identity. Once your account is set up, you can log in immediately to see your payment date and benefit amount.
What if my direct deposit information changes—will my payment be delayed?
If you update your bank account or routing number, Social Security usually processes the change within one to two business days. Your next scheduled payment should arrive on time at the new account. If you are unsure whether the change went through, log into your my Social Security account to confirm your current bank information.