Social Security Payment Delays in May

Beneficiaries of Social Security have noted that their payments are arriving later this month due to some quirks in the program’s payment schedule.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) schedules payment dates primarily according to recipients’ birth dates.

For those born between the 1st and 10th, payments are issued on the second Wednesday of the month. If your birthday falls between the 11th and 20th, you’ll receive your payment on the third Wednesday. Lastly, anyone born after the 20th will get their funds on the fourth Wednesday.

This May, the second Wednesday’s payment date coincided with May 14th, marking the latest date for the first round of payments in any month for 2025.

It’s worth mentioning that other months will also have similar late payment dates. Specifically, February 12th and November 12th will see delays in payments.

Those who started receiving Social Security benefits by May 1997 or who also get Supplementary Security Income (SSI) will see their payments spread across different dates, with Social Security benefits typically disbursed first.

Beneficiaries receiving both Social Security and SSI will actually get paid twice in May. Benefits for this month were deposited on May 1st, while the next set, covering June 1st to June 30th, will be distributed over the upcoming weekend.

The SSA advises that if a beneficiary does not receive their electronic payment on the expected date, they should first reach out to their bank or financial institution regarding any delays.

Should there be a delay exceeding three days, beneficiaries are encouraged to contact the SSA directly to report any missing payments.

Notably, about 99% of Social Security recipients receive their payments electronically.