Millions of Americans rely on Social Security payments each month.
Today – Wednesday, September 24th – the Social Security Administration (SSA) is set to distribute the last of this month’s payments. You can find more details in the Distribution Timeline.
Who is receiving Social Security checks today, September 24th?
Today’s payments go to specific recipients of retirement benefits, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), or survivor benefits.
Out of roughly 70 million recipients of retirement, SSDI, or survivor benefits in the US, most find their payments issued on one of three Wednesdays each month, starting from the second Wednesday.
The designated Wednesday for receiving benefits depends on the recipient’s date of birth and reflects the work history that has contributed to Social Security benefits. For example, if your retirement benefits are based on your own work, your birthday is what counts. Conversely, if you’re claiming based on a spouse or parent’s record, then their date of birth is considered.
Today, payments will be made to beneficiaries whose birthdays fall between the 21st and 31st of any month.
Wednesday Payment Schedule – September 2025:
- Wednesday, September 10th: Beneficiaries born from the 1st to the 10th
- Wednesday, September 17th: Beneficiaries born from the 11th to the 20th
- Wednesday, September 24th: Beneficiaries born between the 21st and 31st
Who won’t receive checks on the second, third, or fourth Wednesday?
- Specific long-term Social Security beneficiaries
If someone started receiving benefits—retirement, SSDI, or survivor payments—before May 1997, their checks are given out on the third of each month, irrespective of their date of birth.
Those long-term beneficiaries were paid on the first Wednesday of September.
Supplementary Security Income (SSI) recipients, which includes low-income individuals over 65 or those with disabilities, usually get paid on the first of every month. However, this September, with the 1st falling on a federal holiday, the SSI payment was made earlier, on Friday, August 29th.
Now, regarding double beneficiaries—those who receive both SSI and regular Social Security payments—it’s a smaller group of about 2.5 million individuals in the US. They typically receive their SSI payments on the first of the month and Social Security benefits on the third, but due to the holiday, they got their SSI check on August 29th.
Recipients outside the second, third, and fourth Wednesdays – September 2025
- SSI Beneficiaries: Friday, August 29th
- Social Security beneficiaries before May 1997: Wednesday, September 3rd
- Double Beneficiary: SSI was issued on August 29th; Social Security payment will occur on September 3rd
If you want to see the full payment schedule for SSA for 2025, check out the online calendar.
How much do retirees earn from Social Security each month?
For retired workers, the most common group of Social Security beneficiaries, the average monthly payment is $2,008.31, according to data from the SSA.
What about other beneficiaries?
Disabled workers are typically paid an average of $1,582.95 a month, while survivor beneficiaries receive around $1,575.30. Meanwhile, SSI beneficiaries average about $717.84 each month.
How does the SSA send payments?
These days, most Social Security checks are distributed through electronic payment methods. In fact, the SSA mentions that fewer than 1% of recipients still receive paper checks as the agency pushes towards a fully paperless system.
The SSA offers two electronic payment methods:
Beneficiaries can opt for direct deposit by providing their bank information to the agency. This can be done through the My Social Security online portal.
Alternatively, recipients may use the Direct Express Card, which is a special debit card for federal payments designed for those without bank accounts.
