SOCIAL Security payments will be distributed to millions of eligible retirees.
Benefit amounts depend on factors like retirement age and earnings history.
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The Social Security Administration (SSA) disburses billions of dollars in benefits to nearly 70 million people per month.
These funds provide essential income for retirees across the country.
Payments are not issued simultaneously due to the large number of beneficiaries.
Instead, the recipient’s payment date is determined by their birth date.
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In some cases, it depends upon the length of time they’ve been receiving benefits.
PAYMENT TIMELINE
This week, Social Security payments will be sent out on Wednesday, March 19, specifically for recipients whose birthdays fall between the 11th and 20th of any month.
However, this date does not apply to beneficiaries who have been receiving benefits since before May 1997 or those who also receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Payments for those groups were already distributed earlier in the month.
The amount of Social Security benefits a person receives depends on several factors, including the age at which they start collecting payments and their highest-earning working years.
At the start of 2025, all benefits increased by 2.5 percent due to the annual Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), which accounts for inflation.
Although there is a maximum benefit amount, individual payments vary based on lifetime earnings and the number of years Social Security taxes were paid.
In January 2025, the average retirement check was $1,976.
If a payment does not arrive on the expected date, the SSA advises waiting three business days before reaching out.
Weekends and public holidays are not counted as business days.
LOOKING AHEAD
Early projections indicate that the COLA for 2026 may be lower than in recent years.
The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) and Social Security expert Mary Johnson predict that the COLA increase will drop from 2.5 percent in 2025 to 2.2 percent in 2026.
The final percentage will be announced in October.
According to the SSA, the maximum benefit amount depends on retirement age.
In 2025, retiring at full retirement age would yield a maximum monthly benefit of $4,018.
Retiring at 62 would result in a maximum of $2,831, while waiting until 70 would provide the highest amount, at $5,108 per month.
