Social Security is making payments on Wednesday, September 24: find out who’s getting a check

In the coming days, millions of Social Security recipients in the U.S. are to be sent a benefits payment.

On Wednesday, September 24, the Social Security Administration (SSA) is scheduled to issue the next round of checks on its distribution timeline.

Who’s getting a Social Security payment on Sep. 24?

Next Wednesday’s payments will be made to certain recipients of retirement benefits, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or survivor pay.

Of the just over 70 million Americans who receive retirement, SSDI or survivor benefits, most get their payment on one of three Wednesdays each month, beginning on the second Wednesday.

A recipient’s designated Wednesday is determined by the date of birth of the worker whose Social Security taxes have accumulated the benefits entitlement.

For example, if you receive retirement pay based on your own work record, your birthday is used. If you claim retirement benefits based on a spouse or parent’s employment history, the spouse or parent’s date of birth is used.

On September 24, the SSA is to distribute payments to beneficiaries whose date of birth (or relevant family member’s date of birth) falls from the 21st to the 31st of each month.

Who doesn’t get their benefits on the 2nd, 3rd or 4th Wednesday?

• Certain long-term Social Security beneficiaries

If you began claiming retirement, SSDI or survivor benefits before May 1997, your check typically goes out on the third of each month, irrespective of your date of birth.

These long-term beneficiaries were therefore scheduled to be paid on the first Wednesday in September.

• SSI beneficiaries

Recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) - a separate SSA benefit for low-income individuals who are over 65 or have a disability - are normally paid on the first of each month.

However, as September began on a federal holiday, this month’s SSI payment date was brought forward to the nearest working day, which was Friday, August 29.

• Dual beneficiaries (SSI + regular Social Security)

Just over 2.5 million people in the U.S. receive both SSI and one of the SSA’s retirement, SSDI or survivor benefits.

These recipients normally get the former on the first of each month and the latter on the third. But, as September 1 was a holiday, they got their SSI money on August 29.

You can take a look at the SSA’s complete payment schedule for 2025 in this online calendar.

How much money do Social Security retirement beneficiaries get?

Retired workers - who make up the overwhelming majority of the U.S.’s Social Security beneficiaries - are paid an average of $2,008.31 per month, per figures published by the SSA.

How much do other beneficiaries receive each month?

Disabled workers get a monthly average of $1,582.95, while beneficiaries of survivor pay receive $1,575.30 on average each month. SSI recipients are paid $717.84 a month on average.

How does the SSA send out Social Security payments?

Most Social Security checks are now distributed using electronic payment systems. Indeed, the SSA says less than 1% of recipients continue to receive paper checks, as the agency seeks to go fully paperless.

The SSA offers its recipients two forms of electronic payment:

• Direct deposit

Beneficiaries can receive their money by direct deposit, by providing the agency with their bank details. You can supply this information on the “my Social Security” online portal.

• Debit Express Card

Alternatively, recipients can have their benefits paid onto the Direct Express Card, a special debit card for federal payments made to people without a bank account.

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