Social Security direct deposit delayed because of Columbus Day - normal procedure?
I was supposed to get my SS retirement payment deposited yesterday (Monday), but it didn't show up in my bank account. Then I realized it was Columbus Day. Do Social Security payments always get pushed to the next day when the scheduled date falls on a federal holiday? This is only my third payment since filing, so I'm still getting used to how it works. Should I expect it today or do I need to call someone? My bills are due this week so I'm getting a little anxious about the delay.
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Sofia Torres
Yes, when your payment date falls on a federal holiday, Social Security will typically deposit the payment on the next business day. So if yesterday was Columbus Day and that was your scheduled date, you should see it deposited today. No need to worry or call anyone unless it doesn't show up by tomorrow morning.
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Dylan Campbell
•Thank you! It just came through about an hour ago. Such a relief. I'll mark my calendar for future holidays so I don't panic next time.
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Dmitry Sokolov
happens to me EVERY TIME there's a holiday!! so frustrating how they don't warn us about this. some of us have bills due on specific days SMH
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Ava Martinez
•For future reference, you can find the full Social Security payment calendar on the SSA website. It shows all payment dates for the year and notes any holiday adjustments. If you receive your payment on the 3rd of each month, for example, you'll always get it on the prior business day when the 3rd falls on a weekend or holiday.
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Miguel Ramos
I had this exact same issue a few months ago on Labor Day! I nearly had a heart attack thinking my benefits were stopped for some reason. Called SSA for 3 hours trying to get through. Turns out it was just delayed for the holiday and showed up the next day. This is definitely normal procedure, nothing to worry about!
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QuantumQuasar
•If you ever need to reach SSA quickly without the 3-hour wait, check out Claimyr.com. I used them last month when I had an urgent payment issue and got connected to an agent in under 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Saved me so much stress when I needed to verify my payment status after a similar holiday delay situation.
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Zainab Omar
my neighbor gets hers on the 3rd evry month and when its a holiday they give it to her early not late? is it different for different people?
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Ava Martinez
•Yes, it is different depending on your payment date! If your regular payment date falls on a weekend or holiday, whether it comes early or late depends on your specific situation: 1. For people receiving benefits on the 3rd of the month (people who started receiving benefits before May 1997): Payments come the business day BEFORE if the 3rd is a weekend or holiday. 2. For people whose birthdays determine their payment dates (people who filed after May 1997): Payments come the business day AFTER if your date falls on a weekend or holiday.
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Connor Gallagher
This is totally normal. I've been collecting SS for 5 years and it always happens with holidays. The problem is that most banks don't process deposits on federal holidays, so even though SSA might send the payment, it won't clear until the banks open again. I had the same issue yesterday too! No biggie, just part of the deal with federal benefits.
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Dmitry Sokolov
Is anyone else's payment STILL not showing up today?? Mine usually hits at midnight but nothing yet today either!!
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Sofia Torres
•If your payment hasn't arrived by the end of business today, I'd recommend contacting your bank first to check if there are any pending deposits. If they don't see anything, then contact SSA tomorrow. Sometimes there can be additional delays if your payment date falls on a holiday AND there were processing issues. Don't panic yet, but definitely follow up if it doesn't arrive by tomorrow.
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Dylan Campbell
Update: My payment did come through as expected today! Thanks everyone for the helpful explanations. I'll definitely check the SSA payment calendar going forward so I know what to expect around holidays.
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Zainab Omar
•glad it worked out! same thing happened to me in july with independence day
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Oliver Becker
Great to hear your payment came through! For anyone new to Social Security benefits, I'd highly recommend downloading the my Social Security app or bookmarking the SSA website where you can track your payment history and see upcoming payment dates. It really helps with budgeting around holidays. I've been receiving benefits for about 2 years now and those resources have been lifesavers for planning around these holiday delays.
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Vincent Bimbach
•That's really helpful advice about the my Social Security app! I just started receiving benefits a few months ago and didn't even know that existed. Going to download it right now - anything that helps me avoid the panic I felt yesterday when my payment was delayed is worth it. Thanks for the tip!
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Raúl Mora
As someone who's been navigating Social Security for a while, I just wanted to add that it's worth noting that different banks may process the deposits at different times even on the same day. My credit union typically shows my SS deposit by 6 AM on payment day, while my friend with a big national bank sometimes doesn't see hers until later in the afternoon. So even when payments are released by SSA on schedule, the timing of when it appears in your account can vary by financial institution. Don't stress if yours takes a few extra hours compared to others!
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Ethan Taylor
•That's such a good point about the timing differences between banks! I'm with a smaller local bank and was getting worried when I saw others posting that their payments had already arrived while mine was still pending. Now I know it's just my bank's processing schedule. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences here - makes me feel so much less anxious about these situations.
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Mason Kaczka
This whole thread has been so reassuring to read! I'm also relatively new to receiving Social Security (started about 6 months ago) and had no idea about the holiday delay procedures. I actually set up automatic bill pay specifically timed around my SS payment dates, so knowing about these potential delays will help me adjust my scheduling. It's frustrating that there isn't more upfront communication about how holidays affect payments when you first start receiving benefits - seems like something they could mention during the application process or in the initial paperwork.
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Lena Müller
•I completely agree about the lack of upfront communication! When I first started receiving benefits last year, I had to learn about holiday delays the hard way too. It would be so helpful if SSA included a simple one-page guide about payment schedules and holiday procedures with the initial welcome packet. Even just a basic explanation of when payments come early vs. late for holidays would save so many people from unnecessary stress. I ended up creating my own calendar reminder system to track potential delay dates after going through this same panic a few times.
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