Some Social Security recipients will receive their May payment this week.
Why It Matters
The Social Security Administration (SSA) pays retirement, survivor and disability benefits to some 70 million Americans. Payments are made every month, and the majority of recipients get their money in one lump sum.
What To Know
Retirement benefits are distributed throughout the month, depending on the recipient’s birth date and how long they’ve been receiving payments.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)—which offers financial support to elderly, blind or disabled individuals with limited income and resources—is typically issued at the beginning of each month.
This week, SSI recipients and those who have been collecting their Social Security benefits since before May 1997 will be paid.
SSI is due to hit bank accounts on Thursday, May 1, while the Social Security payments will be made the following day on Friday, May 2.
How Much Is Social Security?
The amount you can collect in retirement benefits depends on when you choose to retire. In 2025, if you retire at the full retirement age of 67, the maximum monthly benefit is $4,018. Retiring early at 62 reduces the benefit to $2,831, while delaying retirement until age 70 could raise it to as much as $5,108.
However, these figures are the maximum possible payments. Your actual monthly benefit amount is likely to vary based on your lifetime earnings and the number of years you’ve paid Social Security taxes. As of January 2025, the average monthly retirement benefit was $1,976.
For Supplemental Security Income (SSI), the monthly benefit varies based on factors like income, disability type, and household size. In 2025, the maximum SSI payment is $967 for an individual and $1,450 for a couple.
SSI is typically available to single people who earn no more than $2,019 per month from work and get less than $988 per month from non-work sources, like unemployment or pensions. The income limit is higher for couples and for parents applying for children.
Upcoming Payment Dates
If you’re still waiting for your monthly check, the SSA will make further payments on the following dates this month:
- Wednesday, May 14: Retirement, spousal and survivor benefits for those born between the 1st and 10th of any calendar month.
- Wednesday, May 21: Benefits for those born between the 11th and 20th.
- Wednesday, May 28: Benefits for those with birthdays between the 21st and 31st.
- Friday, May 30: SSI payments for June. This payment will come slightly earlier than usual, as the regular payment date falls on a weekend.
The SSA advises waiting three working days before getting in touch if a payment hasn’t arrived as expected. Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays are not working days.
The post Social Security: Checks of Up to $5,108 Going Out This Week appeared first on Newsweek.
