The Social Security payment dates are tied to your date of birth. The schedule of payments, therefore, works in the following way:

1. If your date of birth is between day 1 to 10 of the month, you will be paid on the second Wednesday of the month.
2. If your date of birth is between day 11 to 20 of the month, you will be paid on the third Wednesday of the month.
3. If your date of birth is between day 21 and 31 of the month, you will be paid on the fourth Wednesday of the month.

Exceptions to Social Security Payment Dates

There are exceptions to every rule, so if one of the following things apply to you, your personal schedule may be slightly different:

1. If you first received benefits before May 1997, you will be paid on the third day of every month, although you have the option to request to be moved to the other schedule.
2. If you receive Social Security benefits and SSI, you will be paid on the third day of every month.
3. If your check is due to be deposited on a holiday, it will arrive the day before.

When Is My First Payment Day?

Your retirement, disability, and survivor benefits all start to get paid the month after you have become eligible for them. Hence, if you filed for your benefits in May, then your first payment will be in June, on either the second, third, or fourth Wednesday, depending on your date of birth. But again, there is an exception, which is if you file when you are 62 years old.

If you turn 62 on the first or second day of the month, then your Social Security payment dates will start on that same month. However, if your date of birth is on the third day or afterwards, you will have to wait until the next month. The Social Security Administration considers you having attained the age of 62 in the previous month if you were born on the first or second.

So, for instance, if your date of birth is May 15 and you will turn 66 in that month, you will be allowed benefits for the entire month of March, despite turning 66 in the middle of the month. But, if you had started to file your benefits at 66, then you will not be eligible for the month of March, because you weren’t classed as being 62 when March started.

How Social Security Payments Are Delivered

Since March 1, 2013, the Social Security Administration no longer mailed paper checks to their recipients. Instead, they:

1. Directly deposit checks in the bank account of the recipient, meaning there is no chance of them getting lost or the bank closing before the money can be deposited.
2. Offer the Direct Express debit card, which works in the same way as a Debit Mastercard. This means it can be used in various stores and post offices as well, including for cash back.