As the new month begins, a new batch of Social Security benefit payments will be made to payees beginning this week.
Why It Matters
The Social Security Administration (SSA) pays monthly benefits to over 74 million Americans, providing a financial foundation for retirees, people with disabilities, and the survivors of deceased claimants. To accommodate the large number of beneficiaries, the agency distributes payments throughout the month, with schedules determined primarily by recipients’ birth dates.
What to Know
Two rounds of benefit payments will be made this week, on Wednesday, September 3. This is for everyone who is either:
Social Security retirement payees who have been collecting benefits since before 1997.
Retirement, spousal and survivor recipients who also collect Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Most SSI recipients—a program for low-income seniors aged 65 and up, as well as people with disabilities and blindness—would typically receive their checks on Monday, September 1. But, because it’s Labor Day, those September benefits were already distributed on Friday, August 29.
“If the first of the month falls on a weekend or a federal holiday, you will receive your SSI payment on the last business day before the first of the month.” That means you could receive two SSI payments in the same month,” the SSA explained in a 2022 blog post.
“We do this to avoid putting you at a financial disadvantage and to ensure that you do not have to wait more than the first of the month to receive your payment. It does not imply that you received a duplicate payment in the previous month, and you do not need to contact us to report the second payment.”
The SSA recommends that beneficiaries wait at least three business days before contacting the agency if their deposit or check does not arrive on time.
Further Payment Dates This Month
Still waiting for your check? Your payment could arrive on one of the following days:
September 10: Those with birthdays between the 1st and 10th of any month.
September 17: Those with birthdays between the 11th and 20th.
September 24: Those with birthdays between the 21st and 31st.
How Much Do Beneficiaries Receive?
Benefit amounts vary depending on a worker’s earnings history and the age at which they begin collecting. As of July 2025, the Social Security Administration reported an average monthly retirement payment of $2,006.69.
The maximum retirement benefits also vary. At the full retirement age of 67, the monthly cap is $4,018. Claiming at 62 reduces the maximum to $2,831, whereas waiting until 70 increases it to $5,108.
SSI, which supports approximately 7.4 million Americans, pays an average of $718.30 per month.
