May Social Security checks began arriving on the third of the month and will continue through the 30th. When your first payment arrives depends on your birthday.
Beneficiaries who filed claims after May 1, 1997, and receive retirement, disability or survivor benefits are paid on either the second, third, or fourth Wednesday of the month. You also have a specific payment date if you received benefits before May 1997. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments are distributed monthly, usually on the first day of the month.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) prepares payment schedules before checks are sent out, ensuring you receive your payments on time. The recent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), implemented in January, is factored into the current payment.
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That means you should see a slight uptick in your monthly Social Security checks, which should have started in January. The 2.5% cost-of-living (COLA) increase added a little less than $50 to the average monthly benefit of about $1,900, according to the SSA. That 2.5% is down from a 3.2% COLA in 2024, but in line with the average 2.6% increase over the past two decades.
If you didn't receive a check the first week of May, don't worry, you haven't missed anything. That's because twice a year, the SSA skips a week of payments due to the nature of its payment schedule. The skipped weeks in 2025 are the weeks ending May 9 and August 8. The skipped weeks have no impact on the overall amount you receive each year.
Here's when you will see your May 2025 payments.
The May Social Security payment calendar
If you collect Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or retirement benefits, your benefit payment date is determined by your birthday. If you get auxiliary benefits on someone else’s earnings record, spousal or survivor benefits, for example, your payment date is determined by that person’s birthday, not yours.
May Social Security payment dates
These are the dates you can expect your monthly payments for May 2025:
- May 14: If your birthday is on the first through 10th, you receive payment on the second Wednesday of the month.
- May 21: If your birthday is on the 11th through 20th, you receive payment on the third Wednesday of the month.
- May 28: If your birthday is on the 21st through 31st, you receive payment on the fourth Wednesday of the month.
If you received Social Security before May 1997 or if receiving both Social Security & SSI, Social Security is paid on the 3rd and SSI on the 1st. Because the 3rd of May is a Saturday, you should have received your check on the 2nd of May, a Friday.
In May, SSI recipients will also receive their June check on May 30, as June 1 falls on a Sunday.
For a more detailed 2025 schedule, see our story, Social Security Payment Schedule for 2025
Bigger checks this past April
The SSA started sending out bigger monthly checks in April thanks to the Social Security Fairness Act(SSFA), a law signed in January. The SSFA eliminated the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), which were intended to prevent anyone with a pension from “double-dipping” on federal benefits. Payments have now been recalculated for certain recipients. Retroactive lump sums went out this past February, with higher monthly payments starting in April.
People affected by the repeal of the WEP should, on average, notice a $360 increase in their monthly checks. Spouses affected by the GPO repeal should see a $700 increase, and surviving spouses should get a $1,190 increase, on average. If you qualify, you don’t have to do anything as the adjustment should be automatic.
How to report a missing Social Security payment
If you don’t receive your electronic payments on the scheduled date, contact your bank or financial institution. Sometimes, the Social Security Administration experiences a delay in posting your payment.
If you still need help, call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or contact your local Social Security office.
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