Millions of Americans are set to receive social security payments this week.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has published a document online containing the key dates that recipients should mark on their calendars. Some can expect to receive up to $5,108.
Beneficiaries have been divided into three groups in order to stagger their benefits over three payment dates this month because of the sheer scale of distributing the money. The first group received their July funds when they were issued last week. The second group will be paid on Wednesday, while the third group will be paid on July 23.
A file photo shows a Social Security Administration office in Washington, D.C., on March 26, 2025.
A file photo shows a Social Security Administration office in Washington, D.C., on March 26, 2025.
SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images
Why It Matters
The SSA issues payouts each month to more than 70 million Americans.
The funds include retirement payments, as well as disability and survivor benefits. Payments are sent out once a month in the form of a single lump sum for most recipients. But due to the high number of beneficiaries, not all payments are issued on the same day.
What To Know
Recipients whose birthday falls on the 1st to the 10th of any month were scheduled to receive their benefits on the second Wednesday of July, which means they were paid last week on July 9.
Those whose birthday falls between the 11th to the 20th will be paid this week —on Wednesday, July 16.
The remaining group of beneficiaries, whose birthday falls on the 21st through to the 31st, will be paid next week on July 23.
What People Are Saying
In recent months, there have been concerns that the SSA could be affected by President Donald Trump‘s attempts to slash budgets across the federal government, with tech mogul Elon Musk, being drafted in to run a newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) until he stepped down in May. Former President Joe Biden accused the pair of “taking a hatchet” to the social security system, which the White House and the SSA denied.
Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, previously told Newsweek: “From a customer service standpoint, it does appear the Social Security Administration is feeling pressure at the moment, as layoffs have meant more work to do for a smaller staff of employees. The distribution of benefits has yet to see any negative effects, but with other aspects of the administration falling behind, it’s easy to see why there are concerns future payments could be delayed…Few Americans will tolerate missed payments or slower customer service for a program they paid into for decades.”
What Happens Next
Social security beneficiaries should receive their payments on the dates outlined above. Anyone who does not receive their payment on the scheduled date should wait three working days before contacting the SSA, the agency says, noting that Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays do not count as working days.