If you are receiving Social Security benefits and would like to know when your money will be deposited into your account each month, you’ve come to the right place. Not everyone receives their Social Security check on the same date. Understanding the timing of your Social Security direct deposits can help you manage your finances. Here is a breakdown of when to expect Social Security deposits, including the complete 2021 Social Security Payment Calendar.
Over 63 million people, or more than 1 in every 6 U.S. residents, received Social Security benefits. This includes Social Security retirement benefits, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), and survivors’ benefits. The average Social Security retirement benefit is $1,503.
For many seniors, this represents their primary source of income. When Social Security benefits are paid each month can be a major factor in helping seniors keep their finances in order.
In this article, we will detail by month when Social Security payments are deposited each month, including what happens when the due dates fall on a weekend or federal holiday.
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The day on which you will receive your Social Security benefits depends on your date of birth. Payments are always paid one month behind; therefore, if, for example, you are entitled to benefits starting January 2021, you will not receive your first payment until February 2021.
In addition, if you are receiving payments on the record of a retired, disabled or deceased worker (for example, spousal or survivor benefits), that person’s birthday sets the schedule.
Here’s how the Social Security Payment Calendar works by birthdate:
For those on Supplemental Security Income, your payment schedule is a bit different. They are usually paid on the first day of the month. However, if that day is a weekend or holiday, then the payment gets moved earlier the business day before.
Whether you are receiving Social Security benefit, Disability or Supplemental Security Income payment, if the date of your payment for a particular month happens to fall on a weekend or holiday, then you will receive your payment on the last weekday before the holiday or in the case of a weekend, the Friday before.
Here is the full 2021 Payment Calendar for your convenience.
You can also reference the table below for a complete list of dates for the rest of the year.
Here is a simplified version of the 2021 Social Security Payment Schedule
| ">2021 | ">SSI | ">SS & SSDI (Birthdate 1st – 10th) | ">SS & SSDI (Birthdate 11th- 20th) | ">SS & SSDI (Birthdate 21st – 31st) | ">Both SS & SSI |
| ">January | " data-sheets-numberformat="[null,5,"d\"-\"mmm\"-\"yyyy",1]">31-Dec-2020 | ">13th | ">20th | ">27th | " data-sheets-numberformat="[null,5,"d\"-\"mmm\"-\"yyyy",1]">31-Dec-2020 |
| ">February | ">1 | ">10th | ">17th | ">24th | ">3 |
| ">March | ">1 | ">10th | ">17th | ">24th | ">3 |
| ">April | ">1 | ">14th | ">21st | ">28th | ">2 |
| ">May | " data-sheets-numberformat="">30-Apr-2021 | ">12th | ">19th | ">26th | ">3 |
| ">June | ">1 | ">9th | ">16th | ">23rd | ">3 |
| ">July | ">1 | ">14th | ">21st | ">28th | ">2 |
| ">August | " data-sheets-numberformat="[null,5,"d\"-\"mmm\"-\"yyyy",1]">30-Jul-2021 | ">11th | ">18th | ">25th | ">3 |
| ">September | ">1 | ">8th | ">15th | ">22nd | ">3 |
| ">October | ">1 | ">13th | ">20th | ">27th | ">1 |
| ">November | ">1 | ">10th | ">17th | ">24th | ">3 |
| ">December | ">1 | ">8th | ">15th | ">22nd | ">3 |
If you do not receive your payment on your specified day or date, the Social Security Administration asks that you wait three mailing days before contacting them.
You can contact Social Security at 1-800-772-1213.
For most people retiring now, the full retirement age for Social Security purposes is either 66 or 67, depending on the year they were born.
The table below shows the full retirement age based on the year you were born.
| Year of birth | Age |
|---|---|
| 1937 and prior | 65 |
| 1938 | 65 and 2 months |
| 1939 | 65 and 4 months |
| 1940 | 65 and 6 months |
| 1941 | 65 and 8 months |
| 1942 | 65 and 10 months |
| 1943-54 | 66 |
| 1955 | 66 and 2 months |
| 1956 | 66 and 4 months |
| 1957 | 66 and 6 months |
| 1958 | 66 and 8 months |
| 1959 | 66 and 10 months |
| 1960 and later | 67 |
It is possible to begin taking your Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62.
However, taking your Social Security benefits early can reduce your payments by up to 30% as shown below:
As stated above, collecting Social Security before your full retirement age reduces the amount of the monthly benefits you receive.
However, how much your benefit will be reduced depends on the precise age when you start claiming Social Security early.
The example below illustrates this further. In this example, we are assuming that the full retirement age for this person is 67 – which is the FRA for anyone born in 1960 or later.
If your full retirement age is 67, your Social Security benefit is reduced by:
According to this report, it is estimated that Social Security recipients would get a modest 0.3% COLA for 2021. If prices continue to rise, however, then the size of the COLA could be larger.
This compares to the 1.6% cost-of-living adjustment for 2020. In 2019, the COLA was 2.8%, an increase of about $40 a month for retirees.
We will have an update on the 2022 COLA estimate by January 2021.
In the meantime, here’s a look at COLA increases since 2011.
2016: No increase.
Here are the most frequently asked questions about Social Security benefit payments:
Unfortunately, Social Security no longer sends benefits by check. You can receive your benefits by direct deposit into a savings or checking account with a bank or via the Direct Express debit card.
If your scheduled Social Security payment date falls on a weekend or federal holiday, your payments will be deposited on the first preceding day that isn’t a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday.
For example, in January, SSI payments are to be paid on Friday, January 1st.
However, this falls on a Federal holiday. As a result, payments will be made on Thursday, December 31st, 2020.
Your Social Security benefits cannot be garnished by a creditor to pay off consumer debt.
However, your Social Security benefits can be withheld to enforce your legal obligation to pay child support, alimony, or restitution.
In addition, if you owe back taxes, The United States Department of the Treasury can withhold Social Security benefits to collect overdue federal tax debts.
How much of your Social Security is taxed depends on how much income you have from other sources in addition to your benefits.
If you have other sources of retirement income, such as a 401(k), wages from a part-time job, royalties or rental income, then you should expect to pay income taxes on your Social Security benefits.
However, if your only source of income is your Social Security benefits, then you probably won’t pay taxes on your Social Security Benefits.
If you received a letter from the Social Security Administration notifying you that your application for Social Security Disability benefits was approved, here’s what you need to know about when your first payment will arrive.
Once your Social Security Disability application is approved, it can take six months from the approval date for you to receive your first payment.
However, delays can occur so prepare accordingly, in case your payment does not arrive within the six months period.
If you are notified by the Social Security Administration of an overpayment, you have the right to appeal the overpayment decision or request that they waive (not collect) the incorrect payment.
The Social Security Administration may stop the collection of the overpayment if:
We hope this post on the Social Security Payment Calendar was helpful.
If you have further questions about the payment schedule or Social Security retirement benefits in general, please let us know in the comments section below.
