AMERICANS are still in line to receive up to $40,864 in Social Security payments for the remainder of 2025.
With the next round of checks set to go out in a few weeks, keep up to date on this year’s full payment schedule to track your individual timeline.
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A financial safety net for many, Social Security is a federal program that provides monthly payments to over 71 million Americans.
It is funded through payroll taxes and offers retirement income as well as disability insurance and survivors benefits.
Automatic cost-of-living adjustments, or COLAs, for Social Security benefits started in 1975 as a way to boost monthly payments as the cost of living increases.
The 2025 COLA stands at 2.5%, meaning that Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits rose 2.5% starting in January.
Read More on Social Security
As a result, monthly Social Security checks have spiked by $50 on average to $1,976, up from $1,927 last year.
Americans are in line to receive eight more payments for the remainder of 2025, meaning that the average Social Security payout through December stands at $15,808.
However, individuals who retire later in life are generally eligible to receive a monthly check significantly higher than the average.
Americans who retire at age 70 in 2025 can receive up to $5,108 per month from the SSA, up from $4,873 last year due to the COLA.
These individuals are entitled to $40,864 in total Social Security payments through the rest of the year.
Americans retiring at their full retirement age, or FRA, in 2025 will receive a lower check, with a maximum monthly benefit of $4,018 and expected total payment of $32,144 for the remainder of this year.
The FRA is based on the year you were born:
- 1943–1954: age 66
- 1955–1959: age 66 and a certain number of months, increasing by two months each year:
- 1955: 66 and 2 months
- 1956: 66 and 4 months
- 1957: 66 and 6 months
- 1958: 66 and 8 months
- 1959: 66 and 10 months
- 1960 or later: age 67
The third payment tier includes individuals who retire at age 62 in 2025, capped at a $2,831 monthly Social Security payment – an increase from $2,710 in 2024.
Across the remaining eight months of the year, these Americans will see payouts of up to $22,648.
BIRTHDAY CHECK
Social Security checks are distributed three times per month according to a schedule that takes into account beneficiary birthdays.
Americans receive their money from one of the three payment rounds depending on when they were born.
Those with birthdays falling on the 1st through the 10th of their birth month receive their Social Security check on the second Wednesday of each month.
Next month, this first round of checks will go out on May 14.
2025 Social Security Payment Schedule
Social Security payments are handed out on the second, third, and fourth Wednesday of each month. Benefits will be paid out in 2025 on the following dates:
- January 8, 15, and 22
- February 12, 19, and 26
- March 12, 19, and 26
- April 9, 16, and 23
- May 14, 21, and 28
- June 11, 18, and 25
- July 9, 16, and 23
- August 13, 20, and 27
- September 10, 17, and 24
- October 8, 15, and 22
- November 12, 19, and 26
- December 10, 17, and 24
The second round of checks is sent out on the third Wednesday of each month – May 21 next month – to Americans born on the 11th through the 20th.
The last round of Social Security payments goes out to people with birthdays from the 21st through the 31st on the fourth Wednesday of each month.
The SSA will distribute next month’s third round of checks on May 28.
Major changes are underway at the administration that could impact your payments.
Read up on the new Social Security changes that took effect in April, plus the exact steps to protect your monthly checks.
Plus, check out why millions of Social Security recipients feared that their “payments will be stopped” after a major warning message.
HOW TO SUPPLEMENT YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY
Here’s how to supplement your Social Security:
Given the uncertainty surrounding Social Security’s long-term future, it’s essential for workers to consider ways to supplement their retirement income.
Senior Citizens League executive director, Shannon Benton recommends starting early with savings and investing in retirement accounts like 401(k)s or IRAs.
- 401(k) Plans
- A 401(k) is a retirement account offered through employers, where contributions are tax-deferred.
- Many employers also match employee contributions, typically between 2% and 4% of salary, making it a valuable tool for building retirement savings.
- Maxing out your 401(k) contributions, especially if your employer offers a match, should be a priority.
- IRAs
- An Individual Retirement Account (IRA) offers another avenue for retirement savings.
- Unlike a 401(k), an IRA isn’t tied to your employer, giving you more flexibility in your investment choices.
- Contributions to traditional IRAs are tax-deductible, and the funds grow tax-free until they are withdrawn, at which point they are taxed as income.