Social Security benefit payments fall later in May

Social Security beneficiaries will see their payments arrive a little later than normal this month due to a quirk in the safety net program's payment calendar.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) determines most recipients' payment dates based on their birthdates. 

Beneficiaries born between the 1st and 10th of the month are paid on the second Wednesday of the month; those born between the 11th and 20th get their checks on the third Wednesday; and those born after the 20th get paid on the fourth Wednesday.

For the month of May, the second Wednesday and first round of payments fell on May 14 — the latest day for the initial tranche of payments of any month on the 2025 calendar. 

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There are several other months with later dates for the initial benefit payments, which fell on the 12th of February and will fall on the 13th of August and 12th of November.

Social Security recipients who started receiving benefit distributions before May 1997 or are receiving both Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) have benefits paid on different dates, with Social Security paid on the 3rd of the month and SSI on the 1st.

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Beneficiaries who also receive SSI will receive two payments in May. This month's benefit was paid on May 1, while the payment for June will be distributed on May 30 since June 1 falls on a weekend this year.

The SSA recommends that if beneficiaries haven't received electronic payments on the date they were scheduled to, they should first contact their bank or financial institution in case there was a delay.

If a payment is more than three days late, the agency directs beneficiaries to contact the SSA directly to report the missing payment, so the case can be reviewed and a payment replaced if due.

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The overwhelming majority of Social Security recipients, roughly 99%, receive their payments electronically.