How Social Security Benefits Are Paid

Mitul Patel
February 27, 2014

Payment of Social Security Benefits

We are continuing our discussion of Social Security. Let’s move right into discussing how benefits are paid. This subject should be of particular interest to FERS workers given their retirement plan includes Social Security. There may also be CSRS employees who worked outside of the Federal service and qualify for Social Security benefits. Even if none of the categories necessarily apply to you, it is valuable to know the information so that you can pass it on to someone who might benefit.

Social Security benefits are paid on a monthly basis one month after they are due. If your benefit check is due in February, then it will be paid in March. The actual day you receive your benefit is determined by your birth date. If benefits are the result of your spouse’s work; the payment date is determined by the spouse’s birth date.
If you receive both Social Security benefits and *Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, your Social Security payment will be issued on the 3rd of the month and the SSI payment will be issued on the 1st of the month.
If you are born between the 1st and the 10th day of the month, your benefit payment is made on the second Wednesday of each month. If your birthday falls between the 11th and the 20th day of the month, the payment is paid the third Wednesday of the month. If you are born between the 21st through the 31st, the payment is paid on the fourth Wednesday of the month.
Your Social Security check may be taxed if you file a federal tax return and your total income is more than $25,000 for an individual filing and more than $32,000 if filing jointly. Although many of us do not pay taxes on our Social Security payments, about 40 percent of us do.

*Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a benefit paid to disabled adults and children who have limited income and resources.

P. S. Always Remember to Share What You Know.