When Social Security Recipients Will Get Their Checks in April
- Why Keeping Your 401(k) After Retiring Could Be a Smart Savings Decision
- Most Adults Fail This 5-Question Quiz on Retirement Basics
- Most Older Investors Say Retiring at Age 65 Is No Longer Feasible
- Why the 'Right' Retirement Age Doesn’t Actually Exist
- Americans Now Think They'll Need a Record $1.46 Million to Retire Comfortably
- Why Striking Workers Are Pushing to Get Pensions Back
- 3 Moves to Make if You're Retiring in 2023
- Retirees Can Now Wait an Extra Year Before They Have to Withdraw From Their 401(k)s
- Dollar Scholar Asks: How Often Is Too Often to Check My 401(k)?
- Same-Sex Couples Just Scored a Social Security Benefits Victory
The last batch of April Social Security payments will make their way to certain beneficiaries this week.
If your birthday falls between the 21st and 31st of any given month, you'll get your payment on Wednesday. Beneficiaries with birthdays that fall 11th and 20th should have received their payments last week.
With this year's 3.2% cost-of-living adjustment (abbreviated COLA), the average monthly payment for all beneficiaries is about $1,770, according to recent data from the Social Security Administration. The average monthly retirement benefit is now about $1,909.
When will I get my April Social Security payment?
If you only receive only Social Security benefits and did not start getting your benefits before May 1997, your payment date is determined by your birthday. You'll get your check this Wednesday (April 24) if your birthday falls between the 21st and 31st of any given month.
Social Security recipients with birthdays between the 11th and 20th got their payments on April 17, and people born between the first and the 10th got paid on April 10.
Anyone who received Social Security before May 1997 was paid on April 3, and those who receive both SSI and Social Security should have received their payments April 1 and April 3, respectively. Recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) received their checks on the first.
Where is my Social Security check for this month?
If you think your Social Security check didn't arrive on time, you can reach out to the SSA. But you're encouraged to wait three business days before ringing up the agency to inquire about your payment. You can call any weekday between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. at 1-800-772-1213.
You can also view your payment status by creating or logging into your Social Security online account under “Benefits & Payments.”
What is the SSA's 2024 payment schedule?
Payments for beneficiaries who receive only Social Security typically get distributed on the second, third and fourth Wednesday of a given month, depending on birth date. Recipients of only SSI usually get their payments on the first, unless it falls on a weekend or federal holiday.
In this case, payments for SSI beneficiaries are moved to the previous business day, which means sometimes they will receive two payments one month and none the next. This scheduling quirk will occur in May, August and November this year.
Beneficiaries of both SSI and Social Security (and those who claimed before May 1997) usually receive SSI on the first of the month and Social Security on the third — unless it falls on a holiday or a weekend, in which case these payments are also moved to the previous business day.
How do I calculate my Social Security payment?
Your Social Security benefit is based on your average indexed monthly earnings during the 35 years you earned the most income. The SSA then applies a formula to figure out your primary insurance amount (called your PIA).
You can see your earnings history and calculate your benefit by creating or logging into your online account on the SSA’s website. The SSA offers a digital benefits calculator and other online tools to help you navigate your benefits.
More from Money:
Social Security Recipients Could See Checks Garnished if They're Behind on Student Loans
Retirement Is Broken — Is a 'Pension Renaissance' Coming to Save Us?
The Social Security COLA Estimate for 2025 Just Increased Thanks to Inflation