Every year, the Social Security Administration issues a calendar of when the various Social Security benefits are going to be paid for the following year. All Social Security benefits are paid electronically. The Social Security Administration stopped sending paper checks in 2013. You can receive your benefits by instructing Social Security to direct deposit your money to your bank account. The second way you can receive your benefits is to have Social Security issue a Direct Express debit card to you. They load the debit card with your Social Security benefits for the month and you make your purchases using that debit card. Let’s explore what else you need to know about how these are paid.

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Social Security Retirement and Disability Insurance Programs (OASDI)

OASDI stands for Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance. You may see it on your pay stub. This program is operated by the Social Security Administration which is a federal agency. The employer collects money from workers’ wages and that money is put into one of two trusts. The OASI trust is for retirement benefits for workers and the DI trust is for disability benefits. Payroll deduction funnels the money into each trust.

In 2025, the Social Security payroll tax is 12.4 percent, but you only pay 6.2 percent of your wages. The company that employs you pays the other half. The income level at which that tax stops is $176,100. Self-employed individuals must pay the entire 12.4 percent. Of the 12.4 percent, 10.03% goes into the OASI trust and 2.37% goes into the DI trust.

Social Security retirement benefits are not, contrary to what some think, an entitlement. Benefits are funded out of the trusts into which you pay your social security taxes. You are paid back the contributions to Social Security you have paid over the lifetime of your career.

If you started drawing Security retirement benefits before March 1997, you will receive your payment on the 1st of every month. If the first falls on a weekend or legal holiday, you will receive your benefits on the day before they are due. If you started receiving benefits after March 1997, you will receive your check on the 2nd Wednesday of the month if your birthday is between the 1st and 10th.

For those whose birthdays are between the 11th and the 20th, you will receive your check on the 3rd Wednesday of the month. If your birthday falls between the 21st and 31st, you will receive your benefits on the 4th Wednesday of the month. Social Security disability payments follow the same schedule. If those Wednesdays fall on a legal holiday, you will receive your check the day before it is due.

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)

SSDI is that part of OASDI that is meant for people who become disabled before their retirement age. The amount of benefits you receive if you are approved for SSDI is dependent upon how much you paid into the DI portion of the Social Security trust fund during your working years. It is not dependent in any way on how disabled you are. Instead, the money you pay each year to the Disability Insurance Trust fund is averaged and the average approximates the benefits you will receive.

SSDI benefits are staggered throughout the month just like Social Security retirement benefits. If you were born during the first third of the month, you get your check on the 2nd Wednesday of the month. If you were born during the second third of the month, your benefit check will arrive on the 3rd Wednesday of the month and if you were born during the last third of the month, your check will come to you on the 4th Wednesday of the month. If any of those dates are on a legal holiday, you will receive your benefit check the day before.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

SSI is a different type of program. It provides a minimum amount of financial support for those who are aged, blind or disabled. It is a federal assistance program and the benefits do not come out of the Social Security trust funds. Instead, they come out of general tax revenues. This program is usually for older individuals who have little or no income to help them meet their basic needs.

Recipients of SSI receive their benefit checks on the first day of every month. If the first of the month is a weekend or legal holiday, you are paid on the weekday immediately preceding those days. If you receive both SSI and SSDI, you will receive your SSI check on the 1st of the month and your SSDI check on the 3rd of the month.

Social Security Payment Schedule

Below is the Social Security payment schedule for 2025 for both Social Security retirement and SSDI benefits for post-1997 applicants:

January 2025

February 2025

March 2025

April 2025

May 2025

June 2025

July 2025

August 2025

September 2025

October 2025

November 2025

December 2025

Social Security Payment Date Exceptions

While the standard schedule covers most recipients, there are exceptions to be aware of. Here is what you need to know:

• There may be a payment date exception made if you filed for Social Security retirement or SSDI benefits before May 1, 1997.
• If you also receive SSI along with retirement benefits, there may be a payment date exception.
• Another condition for a payment date exception is if Medicare is paid for by the state in which you reside.
• If you live in a foreign country, there may be an exception to the payment date.
• If you receive SSI and the first day of the month falls on a weekend or holiday, you will receive your payment on the weekday before the first.
• If you receive Social Security retirement benefits and/or SSDI, your payment date may change to the previous weekday if your scheduled date falls on a federal holiday or a weekend.

Bottom Line

As we look ahead to the Social Security payment schedule for 2025, understanding the nuances of this system becomes increasingly important for beneficiaries. The schedule is designed to ensure that payments are distributed efficiently and predictably, with dates typically based on the recipient’s birth date. This structure helps millions of Americans plan their finances with greater certainty.

Tip on Social Security Benefits

• A financial advisor can sort through your Social Security benefits for you and help you determine the time to start receiving them as part of your retirement plan. Finding a financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you can have a free introductory call with your advisor matches to decide which one you feel is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
• As you plan for your own retirement, consider our list of the states to retire in for taxes. This might be helpful as you decide where to live post-retirement.

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