This week, welfare benefit payments will be made to millions of claimants across the U.S.
Why It Matters
Social Security benefits form the bedrock of income for millions of Americans—and those who claim Supplemental Security Income (SSI) will be paid this week. Adults and children with disabilities, or who are blind, with little to no income are eligible to receive SSI.
What To Know
This Friday, January 31, SSI payments will be made to claimants across the U.S. from the Social Security Administration (SSA).
Usually, SSI payments are made on the first of every month, but sometimes this changes as payments dates fall on a weekend or federal holiday.
“We do this to avoid putting you at a financial disadvantage and make sure that you don’t have to wait beyond the first of the month to get your payment,” the SSA said in a 2022 blog post. “It does not mean that you are receiving a duplicate payment in the previous month, so you do not need to contact us to report the second payment.”
The SSA says you should wait three working days before contacting the government agency if a payment hasn’t arrived as expected. Federal holidays and weekends are not working days.
Due to the annual Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) that went into effect at the start of this year, the maximum monthly SSI benefit for 2025 has increased to $967 for an individual and $1,450 for a couple, compared to $943 and $1,415, respectively, in 2024.
This increase is smaller than those in recent years. In 2024, the COLA raised benefits by 3.2 percent, whereas 2023 saw a significant 8.7 percent increase following a period of high inflation driven by the coronavirus pandemic.
The amount a beneficiary receives varies based on factors like income, type of disability, and how many people live in the claimants household. According to the Congressional Research Service, the average federally administered SSI payment in February 2024 was $697.
What People Are Saying
Mary Johnson, an independent Social Security and Medicare policy analyst, said: “The 2025 COLA will be the lowest received by Social Security beneficiaries since 2021, at the same time inflated prices persist on key essentials such as housing, meats, auto insurance, any type of service and repairs. Despite it being the lowest COLA since 2021, a 2.5 percent COLA would be considered about average.”
What’s Next
Those who claim retirement income from the SSA will be paid throughout February, and the next SSI payment will be made on February 28—once again a day earlier than usual.
The post Social Security Payment This Week: Up to $967 To Be Sent Out appeared first on Newsweek.
