Social Security payment scheduled for March 3rd instead of second Wednesday - is payment schedule changing?

my checks always come on the 3rd of the month. been that way for 6 years now. its not when u were born its when u started getting benefits

The March 3rd date is correct for your situation. Social Security follows different payment schedules depending on when you began receiving benefits. Here's how it works: 1. If you started receiving SS benefits BEFORE May 1997, you get paid on the 3rd of each month 2. If you started AFTER May 1997, you get paid on the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th Wednesday based on your birth date (1st-10th = 2nd Wed, 11th-20th = 3rd Wed, 21st-31st = 4th Wed) 3. If you receive both SS and SSI, you typically get SS on the 3rd and SSI on the 1st Since your letter specifically says March 3rd, I'd go with that date. You can always verify through your MySocialSecurity account or by calling SSA directly.

OMG the payment system is SO confusing! I have been collecting for 2 years and STILL get confused sometimes. I think they do it this way to spread out all the payments so their system doesn't crash or something. The 3rd of the month is for older beneficiaries who started before 1997, I'm pretty sure.

The previous responses are mostly correct, but let me clarify a few things: If your first payment is scheduled for March 3rd, that means you fall into one of these categories: 1. You're receiving benefits that began BEFORE May 1997 2. You're receiving both Social Security and SSI benefits 3. You're receiving benefits as a spouse or parent of a beneficiary who started receiving benefits before May 1997 Since this is your first payment, #1 doesn't apply to you. So you're either getting SSI along with Social Security, or you're receiving benefits on someone else's record who began before 1997. The birth date payment schedule (2nd/3rd/4th Wednesday) only applies to people receiving RETIREMENT or DISABILITY benefits that began after May 1997. If you want to confirm which category you fall into, check your award letter carefully - it should specify the type of benefit you're receiving.

The same thing happened to my sister last year and she panicked thinking something was wrong with her application!!!! She called SSA like 5 times and could NEVER get through - spent hours on hold and kept getting disconnected. She was so stressed about it!!!!

i think u should just trust what the letter says. they know what theyre doing. my payments come on different days sometimes tho so dont panic if it doesnt come exactly on the 3rd, sometimes banks hold it a day.

To answer your follow-up question - yes, once your payment schedule is established, it generally stays the same. Since you're receiving spousal benefits on your husband's record (who started before 1997), all your future payments should continue to arrive on the 3rd of each month. One thing to note: if the 3rd falls on a weekend or federal holiday, you'll receive your payment on the previous business day. So for example, if the 3rd is a Sunday, you'd get paid on the Friday before.

watch out for march payments they sometimes get delayed because of tax season the system gets overloaded

I'm jealous you get the 3rd! It comes earlier than my payment on the 4th Wednesday. I have to budget really carefully at the end of each month. 😩