Social Security recipients receive a monthly payout from the Social Security Administration for the benefit they qualify for. The SSA offers many benefits, such as retirement benefits, disability benefits, and many others, for the elderly, disabled people, survivors, and others who need support to manage their essential needs.
The next Social Security payment will roll out for May 2025, the recipients are now wondering about their payment dates. According to the SSA payment schedule, the payments are disbursed based on the recipient’s birth date and the benefit they are receiving.
The statistics say millions of people living in the US depend on Social Security income to cover their living expenses and maintain a reasonable standard of living. The maximum payout comes under the retirement benefits, where the retirees who claimed the benefit at 70 receive the highest payout of $5018.
| Who is eligible? | Retirees, Survivors, Disabled people, or people struggling with basic needs expenses |
| Administered by | Social Security Administration |
| Max. Payout | Retirement benefit up to $5180 |
| May 2025 Payment Date | SSI Payment: 01 and 30 May 2025 Birth date between 1st -10th: 14 May 2025Birth Date between 11th – 20th: 21 May 2025Birth date between 21st – 31st: 28 May 2015 |
| People receiving benefits before May 1997 and qualifying for SSI receive Social Security on: | 02 May 2025 |
| Contact at | 1800 772 1213 |
| Official Website | https://www.ssa.gov/ |
Payment Dates
The second, third, and fourth Wednesdays are when the Social Security Administration processes the payments based on the recipient’s birthdate. The following are the SSA’s payment processing rules for benefits:
- Based on the Birth date:
| Birth Date Between | Payment on |
| 1st to 10th | Second Wednesday |
| 11th to 20th | Third Wednesday |
| 21st to 31st | Fourth Wednesday |
- The SSI benefit is issued on the 1st of each month except for a bank holiday or weekend.
- People receiving social security from May 1997 and who qualify for both SSI and Social Security can expect Social Security on the third day and the SSI on the first day.
The recipients can mark the payout date for the Social Security of May 2025 based on the said rules:
- Based on birth dates
| Birth Date Between | Payment Date |
| 1st to 10th | 14 May 2025 |
| 11th to 20th | 21 May 2025 |
| 21st to 31st | 28 May 2025 |
- SSI payment: 01 May 2025. (In May 2025, you will receive two SSI payments as 01 June is a Sunday, so expect another payment on 30 May 2025).
- People receiving social security from May 1997 and who qualify for both SSI and Social Security can expect Social Security on 02 May 2025 instead of the 3rd due to the weekend.
Who is eligible?
The eligibility criteria for the different Social Security benefits may vary; however, based on the general requirement, you can get the benefits when you meet the following conditions:
- You can claim the Social Security benefits when you retire or are aged, which is based on the payroll taxes you paid during your working days.
- You can get the benefit when you have a disability or blindness that affects your working ability, or you have to leave the job, making it difficult for you to earn for yourself and the household expenses.
- You are dealing with financial hardships as you can’t cover the basic needs of clothing, food, or housing.
- You are a young child parent and need support, or you have lost your partner.
If you meet any of the above conditions, you can take the SSA eligibility test and see if you qualify for any of the benefits they offer to make the lives of Americans easier.
Payout Amount
The administration adjusts the Social Security benefits payout every year through the COLA adjustment to ensure that the payment keeps pace with rising inflation. With the adjustment, the payment never decreases, however, it can remain the same or increase as per the spending rate of consumers (CPI-W).
The Social Security benefit is increased to the following rate in 2025 due to the 2.5% rise in the payment by the 2025 COLA adjustment:
| Social Security Benefits | Monthly Payout amount |
| Full Retirement Benefit | $5,180 |
| Under full retirement age | $1,950 |
| SSI | Individual: $967Couples: $1,450 |
| Widowed Mother and 2 kids | $3,761 |
| Disabled worker, one or more children, or spouse | $2,826 |
| Age: Widower living alone | $1,832 |
| Elderly Couple (both qualifying for the benefit) | $3,089 |
Action to take for delayed payout
The Social Security recipients generally get their benefit payout on the designated date; however, if you miss the payment, you should take the following action:
- You should check your bank account activity and see if the account is active or not, and then see your SSA recorded information on your Social Security account to see if the bank information is correct.
- You should ensure your mailing information is correctly recorded with the SSA if you have selected a physical check over direct deposit.
- You should wait three business days from the payment date before reaching out to the administration to know about the payout. You can reach out to the SSA via a call at 1800 772 1213, or you can send the enquiry via my Social Security account.
Americans who receive Social Security benefits should mark their May 2025 payment dates to manage their finances and use the payout accordingly.