Social Security payments to go out earlier than usual

Some Social Security recipients due to be paid this week will get their monthly money a day earlier than usual.

Social Security payments, made to retired Americans, those with a disability and survivors of former claimants are paid on a monthly basis by the Social Security Administration (SSA). As of the end of 2023, some 67 million Americans were receiving benefits from the government agency.

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Changes are made to the Social Security schedule when the usual payment date either falls on a weekend or a national holiday. This week, recipients who were due to be paid on Wednesday will instead be paid a day before, on Tuesday, due to the Juneteenth national holiday on June 19.

The change applies to all Social Security beneficiaries claiming retirement benefits who do not live abroad, do not also claim Supplemental Security Income (SSI), have not been claiming since before 1997, and whose birthday falls between the 11th and 20th of any given month in the year.

It isn’t the first time this month that the benefit distribution schedule has changed. Typically, the first round of Social Security payments for retirees in the above category is made in the second week of the month. However, in June, these payments were made in the third week, which began on Monday, June 10.

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Those pre-1997 retirees, SSI claimants and Americans abroad were also subject to a schedule change in June. Their payment actually came a day early on May 31 instead of June 1, due to the usual date falling on a Saturday.

Regardless of when you are paid, the amount you receive in Social Security benefits is dependent on a number of factors. Social Security checks are calculated based on the age you started claiming and how much you earned during your 35 highest-paid working years. The average amount paid in January was $1,907, but the maximum available to those who qualify is $4,873.

In 2024, that maximum is available only to those who retired at age 70. If you stop working and begin claiming at 62—the earliest age possible—your maximum benefit would be $2,710, the SSA has said. For those who retire at full retirement age for their age group, the maximum benefit currently payable is $3,822.

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This amount is also subject to the annual cost of living adjustment (COLA), which raises benefits in line with retirement each year. Mary Johnson, a Social Security and Medicare policy analyst, told Newsweek that she is expecting retirement and disability benefits to rise by 3 percent in 2025.